Effectiveness of a Teaching Programme on Child Abuse Prevention and Well-Being among Adolescents, Parents, and Teachers

Abstract

Introduction: Child abuse is a serious public health and human rights concern that can have long-term psychological, social, behavioral, and developmental consequences for adolescents. Adequate awareness and preventive education among adolescents, parents, and teachers can play an important role in promoting child safety and well-being. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme on child abuse prevention and well-being among adolescents, parents, and teachers, with a six-month follow-up.

Methods: A longitudinal, quasi-experimental study design was adopted. A total of 306 participants, comprising 108 adolescents, 90 teachers, and 108 parents, were selected using simple random sampling and allocated equally to the intervention and control groups. A structured teaching programme on child abuse prevention was implemented for the intervention group, while the control group received no such intervention during the study period. Data were collected at three time points (T0, T1, and T2) using a self-structured questionnaire to assess knowledge regarding child abuse prevention and well-being among adolescents, parents, and teachers.

Results: The findings demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge regarding child abuse prevention and well-being among adolescents, parents, and teachers in the intervention group compared with the control group following the teaching programme. The improvements were maintained at the follow-up assessment, although a slight decline in scores was observed at the second post-test. In contrast, no significant changes were observed among participants in the control group. The findings indicate that structured teaching programmes can enhance awareness and promote positive outcomes related to child abuse prevention and well-being among adolescents, parents, and teachers.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that a structured teaching programme on child abuse prevention can improve knowledge and contribute to enhanced well-being among adolescents, parents, and teachers. Continued educational reinforcement and follow-up programmes may help sustain these improvements and strengthen the role of parents and teachers in creating a safe, supportive, and protective environment for adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; child abuse prevention; teaching programme; well-being; knowledge; parents; teachers; school-based intervention.