The Safe Child Program
Problems addressed
Child abuse, neglect, and/or maltreatment
Effectiveness

Promising

.

.

.

.

.

Promising

Want to know more about this classification? Check out our methodological manual.

Life periods served
Children (4 to 13 years)
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Education establishment
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a comprehensive school curriculum for the prevention of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse against children between the ages of three and nine. The aim is to promote safety and develop self-care skills in children, while educating parents and teachers to effectively implement the curriculum and prevent and reduce child violence.
The curriculum is applied in the classroom by the teacher and involves audiovisual materials aimed at raising awareness of abusive practices and inappropriate conduct by adults, as well as protection and self-defense skills. The program is structured in five to ten sessions per year, from kindergarten to the third year of elementary school.

Impact evaluations

Impact evaluation studies showed that the children participating in the program were successful in simulation exercises that hypothetically put them in a risky situation, such as going out with strangers. The effects of the intervention lasted six months after it was implemented [1] [2] [3] [4].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Fryer, G. E., Kraizer, S. K., & Mlyoshi, T. (1987). Measuring actual reduction of risk to child abuse: A new approach. Child Abuse & Neglect, 11(2), 173-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(87)90055-X

[2] Fryer, G. E., Kraizer, S. K., & Mlyoshi, T. (1987). Measuring children///s retention of skills to resist stranger abduction: Use of the simulation technique. Child abuse & neglect, 11(2), 181-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(87)90056-1

[3] Kraizer, S. K., Fryer, G. E., & Miller, M. (1987). Programming for preventing sexual abuse and abduction: What does it mean when it works?. Child Welfare, 67(1), 69-78. https://www.Jstor.org/stable/45390212

[4] Kraizer, S., Witte, S. S., & Freyer, G. E. (1989). Child sexual abuse prevention programs: What makes them effective in protecting children?. Children Today, 18(5), 23-27.

Information source