Martha Alvarez

Evaluation of the Integrated Project for Sexual Abuse Prevention: a preliminary study

This article presents a sexual abuse prevention program implemented in the Casa Pia, Lisbon and its respective evaluation. It also discusses criteria for evaluating programs. This study used a quantitative longitudinal design, by means of a questionnaire, with two pre and post-test evaluation points spaced over a six-month interval. The participants, namely 188 students from 3rd to 6th grades, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, and answered a set of questionnaires regarded as being suitable for the evaluation of key skills trained within the scope of the program. The groups did not present significant differences between time 1 and 2, but the role of the school and the highest number of sessions contributed significantly to an increase in the youngsters´ socio-emotional skills. Some of the essential aspects of the program´s implementation are discussed with a view to understanding the findings, and recommendations related to implementation practices are made so as to optimize their effectiveness.