Effects of a short teacher training programme on the management of children's sexual behaviours: a pilot study

This small-scale quasi-experimental study set out to examine the effects of a brief
training programme aiming to develop primary school teachers’ knowledge,
attitudes and confidence in recognising and responding to children who display
sexual behaviours. Data on prevalence of sexual behaviours observed by
teachers in the study, their level of concern and their response strategies were
also examined. There were overall improvements in 16 of the 23 self-report
questionnaire items after the training session, 6 of which, in comparison to a
control group, were sustained at the three-week follow-up. These results suggest that short training courses can be a viable option in improving primary teachers’ knowledge and confidence in dealing with children’s sexual behaviours within
the school setting. These significant findings are discussed in relation to
implications for policy and practice as well as future research.