Program Recommendations.

Program Recommendations.

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Violence prevention programs aim to raise awareness, change attitudes, normative beliefs, motivation, and behavioral responses. Many programs have been developed and evaluated, and optimistic claims about effectiveness made. Yet comprehensive guidance on program design, implementation, and evaluation is limited. The aim of this study was to provide...

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... also provided guidelines on robust evaluation. These are summarized across program types (see Table 1). ...

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... However, despite various measures such as enacting school-violence prevention programs and laws, the problem persists [42]. Accordingly, relevant departments jointly established "field-centered school violence countermeasures" to institutionally resolve it. ...
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This study explores prospective teachers’ perceptions of school violence and their role in addressing it. Using a mixed method called Q methodology, we quantitatively analyzed the subjective views of 37 prospective teachers. Based on 33 statements, the study categorizes teachers’ roles in managing school violence and analyzes the characteristics of each role type. The research results provide basic data for prospective teachers to develop their capabilities as experts in dealing with school violence. The study identifies the following three types of teachers: prevention-oriented (Type 1), reality-avoiding (Type 2), and legal-regulation-oriented (Type 3). Type 1 emphasizes that teachers can significantly prevent school violence and believes that trusting relationships between teachers and students are key to reducing school violence. Type 2 teachers tend to ignore school violence out of fear of harm, even though they acknowledge its seriousness. Type 3 emphasizes the strict enforcement of legal responsibilities and rules, believing that clear regulations and punishments are essential for reducing school violence. This study highlights the need for customized educational programs that reflect the characteristics of different teacher types in handling school violence. It suggests incorporating practical strategies for preventing and responding to school violence in teacher training, expanding mental-health education, and promoting cooperative conflict-resolution methods between students and teachers.
... Previous literature reviews regarding sexual violence prevention have offered different suggestions about how to improve the programs designed to this end (e.g., by increasing the hours of the program, incorporating multiple sessions or focusing on bystanders; Kovalenko et al., 2020;Orchowski et al., 2020). However, there is limited literature regarding the disparities in the populations benefiting from these programs. ...
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Introduction Violence against women, particularly sexual violence, poses a significant public health concern. Predispositions toward perpetrating such acts often stem from the acceptance of myths that justify or deny these behaviours. This study aimed to explore how dark personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and pornography consumption relate to the acceptance of these myths. Methods Surveying 598 participants, the research employed Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) to identify distinct population profiles, Additionally, regression analyses were employed to further explore the relationships among variables. Results Three profiles emerged, showcasing varying degrees of acceptance of sexual aggression myths. The most concerning profile, encompassing 9.2% of participants, displayed the highest alignment with these myths, alongside elevated scores in dark personality traits and pornography consumption. Notwithstanding the three profiles showed significant differences in the acceptance of these myths. Interestingly, the regression analysis highlighted that Machiavellianism stood out as the primary predictor for accepting sexual aggression myths, overshadowing the influence of pornography consumption. Conclusion This emphasizes the role of personality traits in influencing attitudes towards sexual aggression myths. Moreover, implications for tailored prevention strategies, focusing on high-risk profiles, are discussed, highlighting the potential for targeted interventions to address harmful beliefs and behaviours.
... Sci. 2023, 12, 501 2 of 15 2019; Kovalenko et al. 2022;Wong et al. 2021). An environmental scan of 85 post-secondary campuses across Canada was conducted to identify programs and policies related to relationship violence (Warthe et al. 2017(Warthe et al. , 2018. ...
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Students in postsecondary education are at high risk for experiencing relationship violence, including dating, domestic, and sexual violence. This can result in significant mental and physical health consequences. A relationship violence prevention program has been offered and evaluated for over 10 years at a Canadian university. It is based on a social–ecological model of violence prevention and best practices. Students who completed both pre- and post-program evaluations were used as their own controls to evaluate the effects of the program. Significant changes were noted for most aspects of the program in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intents each year, and these changes persisted for up to six months on most measures. The sample sizes were small and potentially overestimated the effect of the program if results were reported individually. Meta-analysis was used to pool the data and examine the effects of the program across the decade. The results indicated that the program was effective in changing knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intents immediately following the program, but there were insufficient paired data to conduct six-month meta-analyses. Suggestions are made for future programs and further research.
... Despite violence being harmful and pervasive, it is preventable (Krug et al., 2002). Internationally, new evidence of "what works" to prevent violence is emerging at pace, with efforts made to synthesize and advocate for evidence-based violence prevention programming by academics and public health and policy professionals as part of a public health approach (Kovalenko et al, 2020;Quigg et al., 2020). ...
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Violence among children and young people (CYP) is a complex societal issue that has detrimental impacts on the health and well-being of children, young people, and adults throughout their lives. Population health research tells us that CYP are adversely at risk of experiencing violence and are at higher risk of experiencing multiple forms of violence. However, evidence suggests that prevention approaches are most effective when implemented with CYP and can have positive health, well-being, and social impacts across the life-course. This social innovation narrative sets out how the Wales Violence Prevention Unit and Peer Action Collective Cymru coproduced a strategic multi-agency framework for the prevention of violence among CYP in Wales. The first of its kind to be developed in the United Kingdom, this national framework acts as a guide to strategic action on violence prevention, amplifying the voices of CYP, and providing evidence of “what works.” This evidence-informed, coproduced framework used an innovative participatory design process to listen to the voices of a diverse range of stakeholders, highlighting the voices of CYP. Informed by the views and experiences of over 1,000 people in Wales, and grounded in the lived experiences of CYP, the Framework proposes nine strategies to prevent violence among CYP as part of a public health approach to violence prevention. These strategies represent evidence-based approaches proven to reduce violence among CYP, address the risk factors for youth violence, and build individual, community and societal resilience.
... Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the development of violence prevention programs. As a result, many research studies have been conducted to evaluate their effectiveness in preventing general aggression (Farrington et al., 2017;Kovalenko et al., 2020), bullying (Gaffney et al., 2019), bullying and cyberbullying (Ng et al., 2022), and intimate partner violence (Hielscher et al., 2021). Overall, the available evidence suggests that violence prevention programs are generally successful in preventing aggression, delinquency, and violence in children and youth, regardless of whether they are individually focused (such as child skills training programs), familybased, or school-based (Farrington et al., 2017). ...
... Overall, the available evidence suggests that violence prevention programs are generally successful in preventing aggression, delinquency, and violence in children and youth, regardless of whether they are individually focused (such as child skills training programs), familybased, or school-based (Farrington et al., 2017). However, the results seem to indicate that these programs lead to more improvements in knowledge and attitudes than in effective behavior (Kovalenko et al., 2020). Additionally, while there are many programs available, it remains unclear how specific program contents enhance their effectiveness (Kovalenko et al., 2020;Ng et al., 2022). ...
... However, the results seem to indicate that these programs lead to more improvements in knowledge and attitudes than in effective behavior (Kovalenko et al., 2020). Additionally, while there are many programs available, it remains unclear how specific program contents enhance their effectiveness (Kovalenko et al., 2020;Ng et al., 2022). ...
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Digital interventions have emerged as a promising tool for preventing youth violence, although the evidence base supporting their effectiveness lacks a cohesive framework. The aim of this review was to consolidate existing strategies for preventing youth violence through technology, providing insights into the current landscape, emerging trends, gaps, and the effectiveness of these strategies. Several databases were searched for evaluation studies of digital interventions specifically designed for children and adolescents up to the age of 18, without imposing any restrictions on the publication dates (e.g., APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo). The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The review covered 26 studies, which included a total of 24 distinct digital interventions targeting general aggression (N = 9), bullying and/or cyberbullying (N = 11), and violence in intimate partner relationships (N = 4). These interventions, encompassing interactive games, online activities, and video training, have shown promising potential in preventing youth violence by targeting essential skills such as conflict resolution, emotion regulation, knowledge and awareness, empathy, and self-efficacy. Key areas for the improvement of digital interventions in youth violence prevention involve conducting careful evaluations, refining strategies, and considering cultural factors during intervention design. Also, efforts must be prioritized to ensure their longevity and sustained accessibility.
... In this review, there are no interventions in relation to the prevention of trafficking, VAWDASV among older age groups, or so-called honour-based abuse other than FGM. Additionally, concern was raised with respect to the quality of studies under consideration by a number of reviews, including a paucity of studies with impact evaluations over a long follow-up period, and a lack of trials conducted in UK settings, as opposed to the United States (Fenton et al., 2016;Kovalenko et al., 2020;O'Doherty et al., 2014). ...
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This review identifies effective practice for the prevention of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV). The review is underpinned by public health principles which provide a useful framework to understand the causes and consequences of violence as well as prevention. This systematic evidence assessment had two stages: a database search identified reviews of interventions designed to prevent VAWDASV, published since 2014; a supplementary search identified primary studies published since 2018. Reviews (n=35) and primary studies (n=16) focus on a range of types of violence and interventions. At the individual and relationship level, interventions work to transform harmful gender norms, promote healthy relationships, and promote empowerment. In the community, effective interventions were identified in schools, the workplace, and health settings. Finally, at the societal level, interventions relate to legislation and alcohol policy. The findings reveal a wealth of literature relating to the prevention of VAWDASV. However, gaps in research were identified in relation to the prevention of trafficking, violence against women, domestic abuse, sexual violence among older age groups, and so-called honour-based abuse other than female genital mutilation. Also, while many interventions focus on change at the individual and relationship level and within community settings, there is less evidence for societal-level prevention. The prevention of VAWDASV is both feasible and effective and there is an imperative to invest both in prevention programming and high-quality research to continue to guide efforts to prevent VAWDASV.
... Within the literature, gender-based violence has been studied in many forms ranging from non-intimate verbal and emotional violence, to dating and relationship abuse, to sexual violence (for recent reviews see De La Rue et al., 2017;Jouriles et al., 2018;Lester et al., 2017;Kettrey & Marx, 2019;Kovalenko et al., 2020). It is important to note that violence itself can manifest in different ways, involving different motivations from different perpetrators which are often complex and difficult to measure. ...
... There are numerous school-based programs designed to promote bystander intervention in gender-based violence contexts (for meta-analyses and systematic reviews see: DeGue et al., 2014;Jouriles et al., 2018;Lundgren & Amin, 2015;Katz & Moore, 2013;Kettrey & Marx, 2019;Kovalenko et al., 2020;Stanley et al., 2015;Storer et al., 2016). Legislative, policy, and strategic advances have encouraged the implementation of these programs within school contexts. ...
... Most programs have therefore been pioneered and evaluated in the US, with fewer programs and evaluations elsewhere, such as the United Kingdom. Consequently, less is known about the effectiveness of gender-based violence programs in countries outside of the US (Kovalenko et al., 2020). ...
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There is a need to increase understanding of the effectiveness of bystander programmes targeting gender-based violence in the United Kingdom. There is also a need to utilise a robust theoretical models of decision-making while doing so. Changes were examined in bystanders’ attitudes, beliefs, motivations towards intervening, and intervention behavior in situations of gender-based violence. To achieve this, a quantitative examination of Mentors in Violence Prevention was conducted. There were 1396 participants (50% female, 50% male) who were aged 11 to 14 years old (M = 12.25, SD = 0.84) attending high school at the first time point. Participants were attending 17 schools (53% Mentors in Violence Prevention and 47% control) in Scotland. Outcome variables were assessed approximately one year apart using questionnaires. Multilevel linear regressions revealed that Mentors in Violence Prevention did not change outcomes reflecting bystanders’ attitudes, beliefs, motivations towards intervening, or intervention behavior in gender-based violence. Discrepancies between the current findings and those of other evaluations may be due to other studies including small numbers of schools that may be more motivated to implement the program. This study also identified two key issues that need to be addressed at stakeholder level before concluding that Mentors in Violence Prevention is ineffective at targeting gender-based violence. That the program has moved towards a more gender-neutral approach in the United Kingdom could explain the null results of this study. Furthermore, the current findings could be attributed to a failure to adequately address the theoretical model underpinning the program in practice.
... In relation to violence prevention, WHO recommends family-based interventions targeting childhood maltreatment by parents and caregivers, further recommending that violence prevention strategies also take into account societal inequalities that contribute to greater violence risk (World Health Organization & WHO Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention, 2010). Evidence for school-based interventions for preventing violence among adolescents is limited but suggests that whole school-based programmes may offer some benefit, and that targeted interventions may be more effective than universal ones (Cox et al., 2016;Gavine, Donnelly, & Williams, 2016;Kovalenko, Abraham, Graham-Rowe, Levine, & O'Dwyer, 2020). Our findings suggest that targeting interventions towards young people experiencing depression and alcohol and substance misuse could help reduce the prevalence of dual harm. ...
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Background: The aetiology of dual harm (co-occurring self-harm and violence towards others) is poorly understood because most studies have investigated self-harm and violence separately. We aimed to examine childhood risk factors for self-harm, violence, and dual harm, including the transition from engaging in single harm to dual harm. Methods: Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK-based birth cohort study, were used to estimate prevalence of self-reported engagement in self-harm, violence, and dual harm at ages 16 and 22 years. Risk ratios were calculated to indicate associations across various self-reported childhood risk factors and risks of single and dual harm, including the transition from single harm at age 16 years to dual harm at age 22. Results: At age 16 years, 18.1% of the 4176 cohort members had harmed themselves, 21.1% had engaged in violence towards others and 3.7% reported dual harm. At age 22 the equivalent prevalence estimates increased to 24.2, 25.8 and 6.8%, respectively. Depression and other mental health difficulties, drug and alcohol use, witnessing self-harm and being a victim of, or witnessing, violence were associated with higher risks of transitioning from self-harm or violence at age 16 to dual harm by age 22. Conclusions: Prevalence of dual harm doubled from age 16 to 22 years, highlighting the importance of early identification and intervention during this high-risk period. Several childhood psychosocial risk factors associated specifically with dual harm at age 16 and with the transition to dual harm by age 22 have been identified.
... While this might seem like the province of the US Department of Education, we have not seen funding targeted to support intervention development and evaluations of SH prevention programming. While many studies have been done to support numerous meta-analyses and systematic reviews of bullying (Farrington et al., 2017;Ng et al., 2020;Sivaraman et al., 2019,) and youth violence (Fagan & Catalano, 2013;Kovalenko et al., 2020;Matjasko et al., 2012;Piolanti & Foran, 2021) more broadly, there are not even up-to-date literature reviews of what has been done in youth SH prevention. This paper draws attention to these concerns and outlines an agenda for the next steps in SH prevention programming development and evaluation. ...
Article
An organized response to sexual harassment (SH) in K‐12 schools in the US traces its development as a social movement to the larger women's rights movement in the late 1970s. It was an outgrowth of the social movement of feminist activists who protested and filed lawsuits to draw attention to SH in the workplace to gain recognition for the problem as one of equity for working women. The focus on SH in K‐12 schools did not begin as an academic pursuit or with an emphasis on research – rather shares its origins as an activist movement to rectify injustices. Authors document the unwritten history of this social movement, by examining the early roots to address and prevent SH in K‐12 schools. The authors review survey and intervention research from the initial movement through the past couple of decades, noting limitations and challenges for future efforts to prevent and eliminate SH in K‐12 schools. The role of youth activism in advancing the movement against SH in schools represents hope of a renewal of activism with a robust gendered perspective. Authors provide next steps for research and action.
... Gender-based violence is a global public health issue (Ellsberg et al., 2020). Numerous school-based programs have been developed to target this violence; however, evaluations suggest findings are mixed in relation to program effectiveness (e.g., Kovalenko et al., 2020). Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP; Katz, 1995) is one such program that uses a bystander approach to tackle gender-based violence. ...
... Indeed, evidence has shown that implementation consistently impacts on programs' anticipated outcomes (see Durlak & DuPre, 2008, for an overview). However, reviews of gender-based violence programs highlight the need for more research examining this relationship (e.g., Kovalenko et al., 2020). The current study addresses this by providing a novel examination of implementation effects on anticipated outcomes of MVP. ...
... Many programs take a bystander approach, where the focus is on equipping bystanders with the tools to intervene in a safe and effective way (e.g., Banyard et al., 2007;Katz, 1995;Miller et al., 2012). However, reviews and meta-analyses have yielded mixed support for the effectiveness of such programs in changing outcomes (e.g., Kettrey & Marx, 2019;Kovalenko et al., 2020;Storer et al., 2016). Explaining this variation is therefore an important task in order to advance these efforts. ...