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Daycare Directors’ Experience of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention at Licensed Daycare Centers in Oklahoma

Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant public health issue with serious psychological adverse effects on children.While extensive research exists on CSA prevention, limited studies have examined prevention practices within daycare centers.Daycare directors play a significant role in maintaining safe environments for children; however, limited research has explored their experiences and understanding of preventing CSA at licensed daycare centers in Oklahoma.The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives and experiences of daycare directors regarding their roles, barriers, and needs related to CSA prevention.Data were collected through semistructured interviews with nine daycare directors from licensed daycare centers in Oklahoma.Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework was used to analyze the data and identify patterns and themes related to CSA prevention practices.Three themes emerged from the analysis: daycare directors' proactive approaches to CSA prevention, daycare directors mandated to report with minimal support to prevent CSA, and daycare directors' perceptions of need in CSA prevention training.Findings indicated that CSA prevention efforts often relied on daycare directors independently seeking prevention training rather than on required state-mandated CSA prevention training.The results revealed the need to strengthen proactive prevention measures and integrate CSA prevention training into state licensing requirements to enhance child safety in licensed daycare centers in Oklahoma.By enhancing knowledge of CSA preventive measures, safer environments for children could be established, paving the way for positive social change.
Institution: Walden University
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7168437144
Cites: 41
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Related to: 10