Social Problem Solving in Unsafe Situations: Implications for Sexual Abuse Education Programs

• NCJ Number: 158318
• Journal: American Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1994) Pages: 399-414
• Author(s): J S Grober; G A Bogat
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Portions of paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, 1991, Seattle, Washington, and at the New Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Education for Preschoolers Symposium, 1991, San Francisco

Annotation

This study examined the impact of two subject variables (age and gender) and two contextual factors (antagonist age and nature of the social dilemma) on the social problem solving (SPS) of 62 preschoolers.

Abstract

The preschoolers were individually presented with four stories that varied antagonist age (peer versus adult) and social dilemma (sexual versus nonsexual). Responses were coded for three SPS variables: number of alternative solutions, solution content, and planfulness. Younger preschoolers were less competent problem solvers in all types of unsafe situations. Compared to girls, some aspects of problem solving by boys were compromised in sexual encounters. Results also suggested that the nature of the social dilemma but not antagonist age affected the SPS of preschoolers. Children generated fewer alternative solutions and fewer effective strategies to deal with sexual encounters, compared to nonsexual dilemmas. Overall, both subject variables and contextual factors played an important role in problem solving performance. Findings are discussed in relation to research on children's SPS and child sexual abuse prevention efforts. 60 references and 4 tables