The effect of nurse-led body protection education on the sexual abuse knowledge levels of students with visual impairments: a randomized controlled trial

Sexual abuse is a significant public health issue, particularly during childhood, with profound negative effects on children, families, and society. Children with visual impairment face a heightened risk of abuse due to their reliance on tactile perception to navigate their environment and their limited ability to discern appropriate from inappropriate touch. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nurse-led body protection education on the sexual abuse knowledge levels of students with visual impairments. A randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test was conducted. Fifty-three students with visual impairments were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n = 27) or the control group (n = 26). Data were collected using the Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire – Revised, at three points: two weeks before the education, two weeks after the education, and two months post-education. The intervention group received nurse-led body protection education in small groups (3–4 students) during 40-minute sessions. The education utilized verbal explanations, a doll, and a distress whistle. Two weeks after the post-test, a reminder brochure prepared in Braille was distributed to the intervention group. The intervention group demonstrated significantly higher post-test and follow-up scores in the “good touch” and “bad touch” subdimensions compared to the control group (p < .05). Additionally, their post-test and follow-up scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores (p < .05). Nurse-led body protection education effectively improved the sexual abuse knowledge levels of students with visual impairments. This intervention can be feasibly implemented among students with visual impairments to enhance their awareness and protective skills. It was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06497803 ) on July 12, 2024 (NCT06497803).