Virtual Delivery of A School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program: A Pilot Study.

Universal child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention is a public health priority. The prevailing prevention strategy is school-based CSA prevention programming. School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for flexible modes of delivery, including virtual programs. This pilot examined the virtual delivery of an evidence-based, school-based CSA prevention program, Safe Touches, designed to teach CSA-related knowledge and concepts. Using mixed methods, the pilot sought to determine the feasibility of the virtually delivered CSA prevention program. One school district that had previously received Safe Touches in-person participated. A total of 176 second grade students participated in the virtual workshop. Post-workshop survey responses from virtual (N = 37) and in-person workshops (N = 60) were compared descriptively. Mean item scores and response patterns from students who received the virtual workshop were nominally comparable to the student scores from the in-person workshop. Following the virtual workshop, one teacher notified the research team of a disclosure of CSA. Qualitative input from the facilitator and school staff was positive, indicating high student engagement. Results suggest the viability and feasibility of virtual school-based CSA preventive programs. Investment in virtual modes of delivery would ensure all students have access to CSA prevention programming in the future.

Long-term effects of disaster exposure on health care workers’ resilience: A comparison of the Wenchuan earthquake-exposed and unexposed groups

Background Resilience is an important trait of health care workers (HCWs), especially those who are exposed to disasters and disaster rescue efforts. However, few studies have examined the long-term impact of disaster exposure on HCWs’ resilience. Objectives This study aimed to compare the resilience of HCWs exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake to those who were not exposed 11 years after the earthquake. Additionally, it aimed to examine the effect of HCWs’ workplaces, individual sociodemographic factors and post-trauma growth on their resilience. Methods A cross-sectional self-administrated survey was used. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC25) was used to measure resilience. Sociodemographic factors were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses and the relationship between resilience and exposure to the Wenchuan earthquake was assessed using multilevel regression analysis. Results Both exposed and unexposed HCWs reported low levels of resilience. Disaster exposure was not significantly associated with their resilience 11 years post-earthquake. Participants who worked in larger hospitals reported a higher level of resilience. Females and those with higher educational levels, longer service length or higher post-trauma growth scores had significantly increased resilience across different regression models. Conclusions The findings suggest the need for resilience interventions for all HCWs in disaster-prone areas, especially in the case of junior HCWs with lower educational levels working in small hospitals. Further research is warranted to identify optimal strategies to build and advance HCWs’ resilience and sustain their mental health when responding to disasters.