Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Researcher’s Goal and Hypothesis
The researcher’s goal for the current study aims to document the reactions of youngsters in the
year 2011 in response to a scenario regarding a potential sexual threat to a child. It is predicted that
younger children (ages 4-7) will not be able to understand the sexual nature of the vignette presented to
them and/or may misconstrue the perpetrator to have the “authority” to take such action. Therefore, their
responses to the interview questions may reflect their cognitive vulnerability regarding how to respond to
potential abuse. However, the researcher also predicts that while some of the children’s responses may
reflect an apparent knowledge-base of what to do in a scenario of a potential threat, and, when directly
prompted about the threat (i.e., What should Tommy do?), the child may theoretically “know” what to do,
when prompted “Why?”, the child’s understanding will be limited. The predicted limitations of the
responses are based on such things as feelings of discomfort or “rules” that the child’s parent(s) have set
about strangers, rather than an extensive understanding of why sexual abuse in and of itself is wrong. On
the other hand, it is predicted that the older children (ages 10-11) will have a deeper understanding of the
situation than do the younger children.
The researcher hopes that the child interview hypothesis will be proven wrong, and the study’s
results do in fact imply that children are more internally aware of the dangers of sexual abuse at an earlier
age than when these studies took place over 20 years ago (Burkhardt 1991). Realistically, based upon
previous research, it is unlikely that this will be the case. It seems as though the inability to grasp certain
concepts of sexuality and adult authority are due to a child’s stage of cognitive development, not
environment or experience—and a cognitive incapability would be very difficult, if not impossible, to alter.
Likewise, young children’s conceptions of adult authority figures, and the possible consequences of
reporting or resisting an authority figure, seem to be very much ingrained in a child’s mind. If, however,
the children in the following study do indicate a deep awareness of a sexual threat, then there would be
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