Empreinte Program: Evaluation of web-based videos for parents of adolescents to prevent sexual violence
The high prevalence of sexual victimization amongst teenagers, and the possible associated consequences, urge the development of effective preventive programs. Yet, the involvement of parents is essential in order to prevent this type of violence. To that extent, the program Empreinte – Agir ensemble contre les agressions à caractère sexuel includes a parental component using online videos. The purpose of this intervention is to motivate parents’ active role in sexual violence prevention by encouraging them to create discussion opportunities with their teenagers. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of those six brief videos with francophone parents of teenagers in their third year of high school. Results indicate that viewing the videos allowed the 78 participants to improve their knowledge about sexual violence, their unbiased attitudes, and their sense of self-efficacy. Furthermore, 68% of participants reported that they initiated a discussion on sexual violence within the month following their viewing of the videos. In addition, appreciation regarding the videos is strongly positive. Therefore, using online videos to engage parents in a sexual violence preventive strategy may prove to be a promising approach.