Teaching Young Children Responses to Inappropriate Approaches by Strangers in Public Places

Abstract

The application of behavioral principles to a wide array of social problems is not noly appropriate; in many areas, it is critical. The popular press has recently focused a great deal of attention on the sexual abuse, molestation, kidnapping, and abduction of children. The goals of the present study were as follows: (1) to train children to respond to approaches by stangers in public places, (2) to assess short-term maintenance of the responses, and (3) to socially validate the procedures and situations. Social validation efforts included the contracting teachers, parents, local law enforcement officers, welfare workers, a special council for child protective services, the local Campfire offic and faculty persons in related disciplines. Popular literature was examined to obtain general lists of potential situations and recommended behaviors on the part of the child. The professionals consulted assisted the experimenter in narrowing the situations and responses to those most applicable locally. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used, with six subjects assessed and trained in pairs. Each subject showed little or no ability to actually respond appropriately to strangers during baseline assessment. Only with the introduction of the intervention phase did the subjects behaviors change to learn correct responses for the two selected situations. A three-week follow-up revealed correct responses maintained at acceptable levels.