Wolfgang Beelmann/Mareike Gehring/Julia Kindermann/Hanna Graben Schützen im System: Evaluation eines Präventionsansatzes gegen sexualisierte Gewalt an Kindern und Jugendlichen

About this book

Protecting within the System: Evaluation of a Prevention Approach Against Sexualized Violence Towards Children and Adolescents

Sexualized violence against children and adolescents likely cannot be completely eliminated or prevented despite all preventive efforts. However, establishing an effective and sustainable child protection system can help significantly reduce risk factors.

The district of Hameln-Pyrmont has developed a sustainable prevention concept and has been gradually implementing it since 2020. As part of a process evaluation, the implementation of three key measures was scientifically accompanied, and the achievement of goals and their effectiveness were reviewed by a research team from Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences.

The individual measures aimed at the following objectives:

(1) developing the competencies of professionals and volunteers in the educational, social, and therapeutic fields regarding sexualized violence against children and adolescents,

(2) providing further training on the creation and application of child protection concepts in the respective institutions, and

(3) implementing the prevention program "Ziggy Shows Teeth" in primary schools, where boys and girls were taught to perceive their own feelings and recognize when boundaries are crossed, enabling them to communicate and discuss such incidents.

The ultimate goal was to promote the personality and action competencies of children and adolescents, making them less likely to become victims of sexualized violence and better able to resist perpetrator strategies.

The evaluation results clearly indicate that all three components of this prevention approach appear highly suitable and can make a relevant contribution to an effective child protection system.