Empowering Preschoolers Against Abuse: Effectiveness of Safe Child Program Safety Dimension in Türkiye

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of the Safety Dimension of the Safe Child Program, which was adapted to protect children from abuse and similar dangerous situations. Method: In this research, 1x3x3 (single level; preschool, three groups; experiment, control and placebo groups, three measurements; pre-test, post-test, follow-up test) is aimed to reveal the cause-and-effect relationship between variables by using quasi-experimental research design, defined as research designs used to explore cause-effect relationships between variables. Totally 57 children aged 54-69-month-old children who attend early childhood education centers were in the study group. In the analysis of the data obtained, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used. In cases where significant differences were observed between groups as a result of this test, differences between groups were determined using the Post-Hoc Multiple Comparison Test. Findings: Post-Hoc Multiple Comparison Test shows that there is a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in the post-test and follow-up test between the experimental-placebo and experimental-control groups at the preschool level. Statistical analysis results show that there is no significant difference between the post-test and follow-up test scores of the children in the experimental group eight weeks after SKSA-T, thus indicating that the effect of the program continues (z= -3.83, p> .001). Findings showed that Safe Child Program positively affects the knowledge and skills of children to protect themselves and how to behave. Highlights: Issues such as the child gaining age-appropriate sexual information, recognizing their body, learning that their body is special as a whole, being able to distinguish between good and bad touch, being able to share unwanted touching with a trusted adult, and not keeping secrets should be addressed within the framework of education. In addition, parents can be part of the program and support children in learning self-defense skills at home.