School and program related factors influencing disclosure among children participating in a school-based childhood physical and sexual abuse prevention program

Abstract Background School-based child abuse prevention programs were created to provide knowledge so that children can recognize abuse, teach skills that decrease children’s risk for abuse, normalize the disclosure process, and provide a pathway for children who may be experiencing abuse to report the abuse. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore school and program factors that trainers in a school-based prevention program believed were associated with disclosure among youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. Participants and setting This study is based on eighteen trainers and administrators who work with the Play it Safe!® school-based program in Dallas-Fort Worth area. Methods Using the qualitative case study method, in-depth interviews were conducted. Results Data analysis revealed three factors that influenced disclosure: school, school personnel, and program features. The school-related factor was time allotted to the training. The school personnel-related factors were disengagement, ambiguity concerning abuse, prior history with children, and professionals’ personal history of abuse. Finally, the program-related factors were the core messages of the training, providing specific examples, and repetition of the program. To date, there is a dearth of studies that explore the role that schools and school personnel play in the disclosure process. Conclusion Child abuse has devastating effects on children’s physical, social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Understanding more about schools, personnel, and program-related factors that lead to disclosure, which are more amenable to change, is critical to ensuring the safety of children.