Citation: Seto, M. C., Roche, K., Rodrigues, N. C., Curry, S., & Letourneau, E. (2024). Evaluating Child Sexual Abuse Perpetration Prevention Efforts: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2024.2356194

Summary

This systematic review by Seto et al. (2024) critically examines the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetration. The review follows rigorous PRISMA-P guidelines and includes a comprehensive search strategy across multiple languages and databases. Seven studies were ultimately included, with five targeting adults and two targeting children, revealing a gap in interventions specifically for adolescents. The review highlights the promising outcomes of certain interventions, such as the Swedish online CBT program Prevent It, and the family-focused CBT intervention by Carpentier et al. (2006), while also noting methodological limitations such as lack of randomization and high attrition rates. The study underscores the need for more robust research designs and calls for the integration of CSA prevention content into existing programs addressing sexual violence and health education. The review serves as a pivotal resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to develop and evaluate effective CSA perpetration prevention strategies.