PROTOCOL: School‐based Interventions to Reduce Dating and Sexual Violence: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Dating violence can involve a multitude of behaviors, including physical and emotional abuse, sexual violence and coercion, and/or behaviors that are intended to control or intimidate a dating partner. Students can be either perpetrators or victims of teen dating violence, with some youth being both a perpetrator and a victim. This review will include studies of programs implemented in schools (grades 4-12) that sought to address attitudes or beliefs supportive of teen dating violence, encourage bystander intervention or peer support, or sought to reduce the incidence of dating violence perpetration or sexual coercion in dating relationships. This review will be the first to quantitatively synthesize empirical evaluations of school-based programs aimed to reduce behaviors or change attitudes related to dating violence. This review has the potential to impact school policy and prevent consequential victimization. If indeed programs are demonstrated to be effective at reducing behaviors or attitudes supportive of teen dating violence, the strong empirical support that is gained with this type of review will bolster efforts to advocate for administrative support and funding to implement prevention programs in schools. This review can also provide insight into the type of programming (i.e. universal, psycho-educational, individual or classroom level) that is most effective in preventing victimization in dating relationships. [For the full study, see ED557967.]