Safe Touches is an age-appropriate child sexual abuse prevention program designed for children in kindergarten through third grade. The classroom-based workshop is 45-minutes long, highly interactive and fun. Specially trained facilitators use puppets to teach children important body safety concepts that can help keep them safe from child sexual abuse.
Following the workshop, each child receives the My Body Belongs to Me activity booklet to bring home. Available in English and Spanish, the booklet contains activities designed for children to complete with their parents and other caregivers. Through this shared interactive experience, caregivers highlight the lessons their children learned in the workshop and engage them in further conversations about body safety. Teachers are also provided with a link to a video of a recorded puppet skit and are encouraged to play the video for their students one week after the workshop. Teachers are given follow-up questions to engage the children and re-emphasize the safety tools. These follow-up activities create consistent messaging about safety from the adults in the children’s lives and help reinforce that there are trusted adults both at school and at home who they can go to if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Last reviewed: 2024
Intended Outcomes:
Children learn the difference between safe and not safe touches, the private parts of the body, and safety tools they can use if they ever receive a not safe touch or feel unsafe.
Continuum of Care:
Universal Prevention
Topic Areas:
Physical Health
Ages:
Childhood (4-12)
Geographic Locations:
Rural, Urban
Delivery Settings:
School-Based, Virtual
Cultural Considerations:
A balanced amount of the research involved diverse populations
Audience:
Children in grades K-3.
Credentials:
Specially trained facilitators implement this program.
Manuals:
Yes
Is Training Required?
Yes, see developer info
Who can provide the required training?
More information on training can be found here: https://nyspcc.org/what-we-do/training-institute/upcoming-training/
Program Costs (materials, training, etc.):
Yes, refer to program website
Program/Practice Website:
https://nyspcc.org/what-we-do/training-institute/professional-trainings-and-resources/safe-touches/
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:
Guastaferro, K., Shipe, S. L., Connell, C. M., Letourneau, E. J., & Noll, J. G. (2023). Implementation of a Universal School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(15-16), 8785-8802.
Pulido ML, Dauber S, Tully BA, Hamilton P, Smith MJ, Freeman K. Knowledge Gains Following a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program Among Urban Students: A Cluster-Randomized Evaluation. Am J Public Health. 2015 Jul;105(7):1344-50. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302594. Epub 2015 May 14.
WV Rating:
Promising
»WV Ratings Info
Rationale for Rating:
Two well-formulates studies, including one longitudinal evaluation, showed positive effects for increased knowledge of appropriate touching. The studies are very limited in terms of generalizability, but do include diverse populations that could show promise in this area. This program would benefit from further research especially in rural areas.
Contraindications or Concerns:
None identified
Other Registries/Ratings
The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare:
Promising Research Evidence
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development:
Not On Registry
Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness:
Unclear +
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide:
Not On Registry
Washington State Institute for Public Policy:
Not On Registry