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Effective prevention of school-based violence

In the area of ​​violence prevention, the need for programs in schools and other institutions that work with youth has increased at a faster rate than the availability of robust evaluation research. The causes of school-related violence have been examined in numerous studies and there is evidence that prevention and early intervention efforts can reduce problem behaviors in schools. Research-based practices can help school communities recognize the warning signs of violence, promote a positive school climate, and foster norms against violence.

Definitive studies are not yet available to identify the most effective violence prevention curricula. Although some methodologically rigorous evaluation studies are underway, none have been completed at this time. However, preliminary findings from these studies suggest that certain strategies can reduce aggressive behavior in students. Based on these preliminary studies, it is reasonable to expect that violence prevention curricula will be an effective component of our national violence prevention strategy. However, it may take five years before studies identify programs that work or begin to answer a number of important questions about the various skill areas needed or the minimum number of sessions required.

Most of the curricula currently available to schools use a broad definition of violence, which includes fighting, intimidation or harassment, and other acts of aggression. These curricula help students learn to resolve conflict peacefully. A limited number of programs focus on more specific issues related to violence, including hate crime and dating violence. While serious acts of violence (eg, murder or rape) are relatively rare in schools, assault and bullying are often all too familiar. Curricula that address these everyday problems or promote peace are therefore welcome and of immediate relevance to schools. Based on studies of the causes of violence, as well as studies of other types of prevention programs (eg crime prevention, drug abuse prevention), this document presents a list of the elements of an effective school curriculum for the prevention of violence.

A recent guide to violence prevention identified a total of 83 school prevention curricula targeting violence, a staggering number given that the field of violence prevention is very young. As a point of comparison, drug abuse prevention programs have been around for more than 30 years, yet a recent drug abuse prevention guide identified only 46 programs available to schools. On the surface, this would appear to be a contradiction. Why would violence prevention, a newer field than drug abuse prevention, have nearly twice as many programs? The answer, according to users of these programs, is that there probably hasn’t been time to remove the ones that don’t work yet. Although drug abuse prevention curricula have undergone rigorous evaluation studies over the past two decades, very few curricula in the field of violence prevention are currently being evaluated and it is known little about what will work. Of the 83 newly identified curricula, only seven had been assessed using pretest-posttest control group designs, with aggressive behavior outcomes. None of these had followed the students past the initial posttest.

The content of effective curricula can be organized into two main areas: normative education and life skills training. While programs often focus only on normative education or life skills training, research indicates that the best programs will combine these approaches. Normative education (including school climate programs) is designed to promote a positive and peaceful norm and to correct misperceptions that students often have about violence. For example, many students believe that fighting is an appropriate way to handle conflict. School administrators send powerful messages about whether or not bullying and bullying will be tolerated. Good regulatory programs help schools communicate a strong message that adults will not tolerate violence and that the consequences for violations of school rules regarding violence will be swift and safe.

Life skills training includes cognitive, affective and behavioral skills that teach young people how to make decisions, solve problems, deal with stress and anxiety, set goals for the future, communicate effectively, get along with others. , be assertive and resist negative social problems. influences. Life skills training approaches have been shown in various prevention studies to improve personal and social competence, as well as to reduce a variety of risk behaviors or problems, such as smoking, drinking, drug use, and crime. Specific skills especially relevant to violence prevention include anger management and empathy training, as well as social problem solving. A comprehensive and multifaceted strategy with activities for families, schools and communities. Life skills and positive norms need to be developed and reinforced in a variety of settings. Within the school, well-designed curricula provide ways to infuse materials in different subject areas, as well as in different settings (eg, playground, cafeteria). Ideally, there are supplemental programs for families, as well as for communities, so that new norms and skills are reinforced outside of school as well. Media campaigns also help to generalize and institutionalize prevention strategies.

Prevention strategies should start early in the primary grades and be reinforced in all grades. Research has not yet determined the number of sessions needed to reduce aggression or violence. Because life skills approaches are effective in reducing the risk of a variety of behavior problems, one way to provide robust implementation and proper follow-up is to develop an integrated strategy that addresses multiple behavior problems within the context of a single program. Life skills development and behavior change may require multiple sessions; An integrated approach helps minimize the number of sessions needed to address different problem behaviors by providing some skills training each year at school and by reinforcing skills developed in previous years.

Prevention programs are more likely to be accepted and effective if they address the developmental issues and cultural norms of their audience. For example, teens are interested in being accepted by their peers, and programs that teach skills to resist negative peer influence while maintaining friendships are more likely to be effective than prevention programs that suggest youth should “just say no”.

Personal and social skills are taught more effectively through modeling and coaching. Additionally, students need opportunities to practice new skills. Interactive techniques using discussion, cooperative learning, behavior rehearsal, and role play have a greater impact on behavior. Peer mediation is an element of some violence prevention programs that involves providing peer leaders with the interactive skills necessary to mediate student conflicts. Training peers in this way can also help develop and reinforce positive norms.

For prevention strategies to have an impact, they must be implemented effectively. Teachers must understand what the critical elements are and how to develop them using interactive techniques. Educator training that includes role models and on-site training helps teachers master the program and deliver violence prevention.

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