Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

idea for this present study—were borrowed with permission from the parent 1991 child-generated study of
Dr. Sandra Burkhardt, the researcher’s mentor (see Literature Review for a summary and analysis of the
parent study) (Burkhardt 1991). The questions were related to recognition, resistance, and reporting
ability and strategy of the child participant in the face of a vignette concerning childhood sexual abuse with
respect to a stranger perpetrator. The child’s recognition of a problem, the child’s proposed method of
resistance, and the child’s idea of reporting to a trusted adult were thus the main areas of focus. If the
participant was a girl, she received the female version of the vignette (the child in his version of the vignette
being named Tammy). Likewise, if the participant was a boy, he received the male version of the vignette
(the child in his version of the vignette being named Tommy).
Procedures
Before any other procedures were initiated, first and foremost, approval by the Institutional
Review Board (IRB) of Saint Xavier University was sought and acquired by the researcher. Only then did
recruitment for participants take place. The two interviewers and parents of the five child participants were
contacted both in-person and via email to set up a time for the interview. The researcher developed a
consent form which consisted of an introductory section that identified the topic of the study, the purpose
as it relates to the researcher’s teaching, what the participants may gain from the study, the nature and
duration of the study, the general procedure of the study, physical requirements of the participant, and the
estimated time commitment of the participant. The researcher’s contact information was also provided
should the participant’s guardians have any questions or concerns. It was made very clear that participation
was completely voluntary and the rights of the participants were firmly protected.
The interview itself, which took place at St. Xavier University in the university’s psychology
department’s study/lab rooms, G309 and G315, took approximately 30 to 60 minutes per child. The
experiment was administered on March 22, 2011. On the day of the interview, signed consent forms were
collected. The parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child participant was/were then directed to sit in a nearby
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