Dating Violence Prevention Curricula and Approaches
Abramson, W.H. & Mastroleo, I. (2002). Kid & TeenSAFE: An abuse prevention program for youth with disabilities. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Harrisburg, PA.
A project of SafePlace's Disability Services ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program), this program’s goal is to encourage community-based programs and schools to join forces in providing comprehensive prevention and intervention services that address the problems of abuse in students' lives. The program components section has descriptions of the classroom presentations and strategies for educators including: "Teaching about Feelings, Touches and Words", "Teaching No-Go-TELL", "Teaching about Body Parts", "Teaching about Sexual Harassment / Bullying", "Role-play examples", and "Teaching Healthy Sexuality Education". The program is sensitive to all disabilities, serving children with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism, Down syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, traumatic brain injury, deaf, blind, visually impaired, behavioral or emotional disorder, and speech impairment. Available at: www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/NRC_KTSafe-full.pdf
Break the Cycle. (2009). [Ending Violence]. Break the Cycle, Inc.: Los Angeles, CA.
[Ending Violence] - an innovative curriculum that will provide you with tools to: help teens prevent and safely end abusive relationships; understand their legal rights and responsibilities; and create a framework for building healthy relationships in the future. The DVD-based curriculum includes interactive classroom activities, animation, live-action role plays and powerful interviews with experts and survivors. A comprehensive Educator's Guide, student self-guided resource and adult presentation are also included on the DVD. Available at: www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/ending_violence.page. See also order form here: www.breakthecycle.org/sites/default/files/pdf/ending-violence-preorder-form.pdf.
Canadian Red Cross. (n.d). RespectED: Promoting safe relationships and communities through respect education. Canadian Red Cross: Ottawa, Ontario.
“Red Cross prevention education aims to stop the hurt before it starts. Our nationally recognized, award-winning programs teach kids and adults what a healthy relationship is, how to recognize the signs of abuse, dating violence and harassment, and how to get help. Youth participants learn skills that help them develop healthy relationships. Adults gain knowledge to build safer relationships within their organizations and communities.” Programs include: c.a.r.e. (Challenge Abuse through Respect Education), It's Not Your Fault, What's Love Got To Do With It?, Abuse is Not Love, and Beyond the Hurt. For more information, contact Tamara Wee, RespectED Resource Coordinator at 604-709-6648 or email tamara.wee@redcross.ca.
Center Against Domestic Violence. (2005). Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP). The City of New York, Department of Social Services: New York, NY.
“This school-based program is… critical to ending relationship abuse among young people. Through a comprehensive curriculum, students learn to recognize and change destructive patterns of behavior before they are transferred to adult relationships. Social workers (MSW) deliver an array of relationship abuse services through four components: prevention, intervention, staff development and training, and community outreach.” For more information, contact Tracey Thorne, Director of Program and Policy Analysis at 212-331-4522 or thornet@hra.nyc.gov
Church, Pam. (2005) Establishing healthy boundaries classroom discussion guide and resources. Prevention and Motivation Programs, Inc., home of Good-Touch/Bad-Touch: Cartersville, GA.
“This new Classroom Discussion Guide with Resource Information is designed to help teachers, counselors and other caring adults have a comfortable, informative discussion with girls and boys in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades about abuse issues and prevention.” 7th, 8th, and 9th Grade basic curriculum kit available for $195. For more information, visit http://goodtouchbadtouch.com, or contact Molly Schultz, Master Trainer/Prevention Education Specialist at 770-607-9111 or gtbtmolly@aol.com.
Creighton, A. (2000). Making the peace: An approach to preventing relationship violence among youth. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Harrisburg, PA.
This paper describes a pilot Making the Peace (MTP) project conducted in 1996-97, funded by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC), to adapt and present MTP intensively at two "high-risk" metropolitan schools. The paper describes a comprehensive curriculum, training and organizing program designed by staff of the Oakland Men's Project to prevent male-to-female family and dating violence among youth ages 14-19. This Making the Peace (MTP) curriculum, originally published in 1997, includes an organizers' manual, teachers' guide, 15 session curriculum and handout packages for educators, administrators and family violence community-based organizations on preventing family / relationship violence in an entire school district. Available at:
https://vawnet.org/material/making-peace-approach-preventing-relationship-violence-among-youth
CAMH Centre for Prevention Science. (n.d) The Fourth R: Promoting healthy youth relationships in collaboration with parents, schools, and communities. CAMH Centre for Prevention Science: London, ON.
This program brochure describes the comprehensive program that includes a whole-school approach to violence prevention and healthy relationship promotion with four main components: 1) individual/peer, 2) school, 3) parent, and 4) community. The table of contents and introduction for the Youth Safe Schools Committee Manual are included. “Fourth R initiatives use best practice approaches to target multiple forms of violence, including bullying, dating violence, peer violence, and group violence. By building healthy school environments we provide opportunities to engage students in developing healthy relationships and decision-making to provide a solid foundation for their learning experience. Increasing youth relationship skills and targeting risk behaviour with a harm reduction approach empowers adolescents to make healthier decisions about relationships, substance use and sexual behaviour.” For more information, visit http://youthrelationships.org or call 519-858-5144.
Garrett, B. (August 2009). Creating allies against sexual violence. The Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: Columbia, MO.
A five day program curriculum for engaging young men into a discussion of the relationship between masculinity and sexual violence, and then enabling them to take an active role in the movement to prevent sexual violence. For more information, contact Kelley Lucero, Outreach Coordinator, Sexual Assault Program Coordinator and Victim Advocate at 800-548-2480 or 573-875-0503, or email klucero@socket.net.
Peace Over Violence. (1993) In Touch with Teens Information. LACAAW: Los Angeles, CA.
Includes information about leadership programs: Students Together Organizing Peace (STOP), Youth Self-Defense and Safety (YSDS), and Teen Advisory Group (TAG). “In Touch With Teens program was developed in response to the growing awareness of violence in teen relationships. The purpose of the ITWT program is to prevent the tragedy of relationship violence through education, advocacy and organizing. In order to achieve this goal to help teens create violence-free relationships we have been implementing our Teen Relationship Violence Prevention curriculum, In Touch With Teens, since 1991 in junior high and high schools, juvenile detention centers, and other community based youth organizations.” Curriculum available for $30 at https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/curricula. For more information, call 213-955-9090 or email info@peaceoverviolence.org.
Lucero, K. (Revised January 2005). Reducing the risk of sexual assault and dating violence: Empowering young women with awareness curriculum. The Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: Columbia, MO.
This outlines a curriculum of five 1-hour and 15-minute sessions for use with girls aged 13 and older. For more information, contact Kelley Lucero, Outreach Coordinator, Sexual Assault Program Coordinator and Victim Advocate at 800-548-2480 or 573-875-0503, or email klucero@socket.net.
Lucero, K. (February 2004). Sexual assault and dating violence curriculum. The Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: Columbia, MO.
For boys aged 12 and older, this 5-day curriculum includes outlines for each 75-minute session. For more information, contact Kelley Lucero, Outreach Coordinator, Sexual Assault Program Coordinator and Victim Advocate at 800-548-2480 or 573-875-0503, or email klucero@socket.net.
Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB). (2001-2003). Dating violence youth education package (DVYEP). State of Michigan, Department of Human Services: Lansing, Michigan.
The DVYEP is a resource designed for educators in a school-based setting to address dating violence prevention through exercises emphasizing healthy relationships. It includes background information, lesson plans, educator sheets, student surveys and handouts, as well as a poster in both English and Spanish. The package includes tools to: "BUILD students' awareness of dating violence; GIVE students the ability to recognize warning signs in their own or friends' relationships; OFFER emergency and ongoing help that could prevent a tragedy; and PROMOTE non-controlling, non-violent behavior among teens." For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5460_7261-52522--,00.html, call (517) 373-2035 or email dhsweb@michigan.gov.
Pacifici, C. (unpublished manuscript). Media-based instructions for foster teens: Building life skills for the real world. Phase II Final Report. A small business innovation research grant from the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development.
Discusses the development and testing of the first unit of instruction of a proposed comprehensive curriculum on independent living skills for foster teenagers. The first unit relates to finding a place to live. Instructional activities combined video, hands-on materials, discussion, and role-playing. In Phase I, independent living specialists implemented the instruction in small groups of foster teenagers and their foster parents. Available at www.northwestmedia.com/research/fptv-i.pdf.
Peer Solutions. (2005). Program overview: Demonstrating respect as the norm. Peer Solutions, Inc.: Phoenix , AZ.
“Demonstrating Respect as the Norm is the replacement of false norms about violence with accurate information, highlighting and encouraging the positive qualities of today’s youth and adults. When participants learn that respect is the norm, that violence is not the norm and that the majority of people do not perpetrate it, they will be more likely to avoid the behavior and not tolerate it from others.” Associated materials include the Occasional, Issue 2 (October 2005) newsletter highlighting related projects of Peer Solutions and Interpersonal Violence (Harm to others/self) Including Dating, Sexual and Family Violence Resource and Referral Packet by Peer Solutions. For more information, visit www.peersolutions.org/, call 602-225-0942, or email info@peersolutions.org.
Relationship Abuse Prevention (R.A.P) Project. (2003). R.A.P. Curriculum Overview. Family Violence Law Center: Oakland, CA.
Seven sessions include: 1) What is Abuse? What is Dating Violence?; 2) Gender Stereotypes and Abuse; 3) Power and Control in Abusive Relationships; 4) Teen Survivors of Dating Violence; 5) Handling Dating Pressures and Harassment; 6) Healthy Relationships and How to Be an Ally; and 7) Safety Planning and Teen Resources. Handout included: “Unique Aspects of Teen Abusive Relationships.” For more information, contact the Family Violence Law Center at 510-540-5370.
Rosenbluth, B. (2002). Expect Respect: A School-Based Program Promoting Safe and Healthy Relationships. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Harrisburg, PA.
The Expect Respect program, developed by SafePlace: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survival Center of Austin, Texas, encourages community-based programs and schools to join forces in providing comprehensive prevention and intervention services that address the problems of abuse in students' lives. This document has sections on teenage dating violence, sexual harassment and bullying, the need for school-based programs, Expect Respect program history, Expect Respect overview, program components, implementation and replication issues, and future directions. Its appendices provide a table of contents from Expect Respect: A Support Group Curriculum for Safe and Healthy Relationships, intake packets for elementary and secondary students, a pre-group questionnaire, post-group evaluation forms, evaluation forms for classroom presentations, SafePlace guidelines for participating schools, and SafePlace promotional brochures. Available at: https://vawnet.org/sites/default/files/materials/files/2016-09/NRC_Expect-full.pdf
Wiseman, R. (2009). Owning up curriculum: Empowering adolescents to confront social cruelty, bullying, and injustice. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
The Owning Up Curriculum provides a structured program for teaching students to own up and take responsibility — as perpetrators, bystanders, and targets — for unethical behavior. The curriculum is designed for adolescent groups in schools and other settings. It presents a unique and comprehensive approach to preventing youth violence by targeting the root causes of bullying and other forms of social cruelty. It exposes the cultural expectations that teach young people to humiliate and dehumanize others as the way to achieve power and respect, then challenges them to transform this dynamic. The program also addresses the nuanced ways in which racism, classism, and homophobia are expressed in our culture and affect social cruelty and violence. For more information, visit: http://rosalindwiseman.com.
Whitman, J., lead author (n.d.). Reaching and serving teen victims: A practical handbook. Washington, DC: National Crime Prevention Council, National Center for Victims of Crime, Office for Victims of Crime.
The handbook was designed to assist victim service providers in more effectively reaching and working with teen victims. For more information, visit:
https://www.ovc.gov/pdftxt/ncj211701.pdf
