Child Sexual Abuse: Prevention or Promotion?

Current child sexual abuse prevention programs assume that, by targeting potential victims, they can reduce the prevalence of child sexual abuse. This article presents findings, however, that suggest this assumption is flawed. First, recent studies indicate that the prevalence of abuse has not decreased over the history of prevention programs. Second, because of the pervasiveness of the threat of child sexual abuse, it is doubtful that prevention programs can adequately prepare children for the diversity of approaches by potential offenders. It is suggested instead that potential offenders are more appropriate targets of prevention programs. Because a large portion of abuse appears to be related to socialized relational patterns gone awry, it is suggested that a more efficacious method of prevention is a school-based program that promotes healthy relationship patterns. The article compares the existing victim-based paradigm with the proposed potential healthy relationships paradigms along four domains: underlying assumptions, orientation, method, and goals.