Introduction to Concepts and a Model Program for Youth Violence Prevention, Rebecca Williams-Agee, Caroline Burns

1. Introduction to Concepts and a Model
Program for Youth Violence Prevention
Rebecca Williams-Agee
SCCADVASA
Caroline Burns
STSM

2. Primary Prevention of
Intimate Partner Violence
and Sexual Violence

3. •Commitment to END sexual and intimate
partner violence
•Sexual and intimate partner violence are
societal NOT an individual victim’s problem
•Sexual and intimate partner violence are
complex, thus requiring comprehensive
solutions.

4. • A one-time program or event
• One skill-building session
• One protocol
Prevention IS…
• An on-going process, requiring leadership
and commitment
• Integrated into community infrastructure

5.  Primary prevention of IPV and SV is a
systematic process
◦ promoting healthy environments and
behaviors
◦ resulting in the reduction of the likelihood
and the frequency of intimate partner
violence and sexual violence.

6.  Previously we called things prevention that
are actually risk reduction
◦ Self-defense
◦ Safety tips
 Primary prevention will require true social
change
◦ Process of changing the attitudes and beliefs
that lead to specific behaviors
◦ An acknowledgement that we can’t just accept
the world the way it is and expect that the
problems will go away

8. Preventing intimate partner violence
before it occurs
Preventing a re-occurrence of intimate
partner violence
Intervention
+
Primary Prevention
Intervention and primary prevention should
complement, not compete with, each other along a
continuum

9. Prevention
 Preventing initial
occurrence of ipv and/or sv
 Focuses on changing
conditions that support ipv
and sv
 Focuses on promoting
conditions that inhibit ipv
and sv
 Promotes healthy attitudes,
behaviors and social
norms
Intervention
 Recognizing/responding
to ipv and sv
 Addresses the effects of
ipv and/or sv after the
violent incident has
occurred
 Strives to prevent the
reoccurrence of ipv and
sv
 Emphasizing the
prevalence of ipv and sv
and providing information
regarding where to
receive services

10.  Promotes development of social norms and
social environments that create, support, and
sustain positive behaviors and healthy
relationships
 Promotes comprehensive and multidisciplinary
approaches to preventing violence against
women and girls before it occurs by impeding
the development of perpetrators.

11.  focus on changing norms to change behavior
 foster comprehensive and integrated systems for
prevention
 engage community leadership / be responsive to
community needs and strengths
 promote and model positive behaviors
 invites men as stakeholders
 emphasize role of bystander intervention
 focus on risk factors and assets
 build on existing assets and efforts
Parks, L.F., Cohen, L., Kravitz-Wirtz, N. (2007) Poised For
Prevention: Advancing Promising Approaches to Primary
Prevention of IPV, Prevention Institute.

12. Continuum of Prevention
Primary
• Interventions that
take place before
intimate partner
violence or sexual
violence has
occurred
• To prevent initial
perpetration or
victimization
Secondary
• Immediate responses
after the intimate
partner violence or
sexual violence has
occurred
• Deals with the short-
term consequences of
the experienced
type(s) of violence
Tertiary
• Long-term response
after intimate partner
violence or sexual
violence has occurred
• Deals with the
lasting consequences
of violence
• Includes prevention
of recidivism
Example
A multiple session
program with 8th graders
focusing on bystander
intervention and
exploring healthy
relationships
Example
The immediate response
to a victim on a hotline
call, helping them to leave
a violent situation and
determine safety plans
and next steps
Example
The ongoing support that
may be provided to a
victim of sexual or intimate
partner violence by
participating in group or
individual therapy sessions

14.  Restructuring male gender socialization and
involvement of men and boys / creating a new
definition of masculinity
 empowering women and girls
 bystander intervention
 healthy relationships
 healthy sexuality
 youth as agents of change
 media campaigns and media advocacy

15. • Historically linked to physical and medical issues
• Allows us to view sexual violence and intimate
partner violence as preventable problems
• Ties sexual violence and intimate partner
violence to causes outside of the victim/ survivor
(e.g., social norms, perpetrators)
• “REPAIRING THE BRIDGE”

16. If we work at multiple levels
Social
Change
Individual Relationship Community Institutions
and Society

17.  individuals commit ipv and sv
 culture condones physical, emotional and sexual
terrorism against women as the norm on multiple levels
 preventing ipv and sv requires us to consider each
domain’s overall impact on individuals and their behavior
 restructuring social norms, redefining masculinity, public
policy and legislation can mutually support social change
 preventing ipv and sv requires the consideration of the
multiple domains of the socio-ecological model -- family,
peers, community, institutions, media, and society overall

18. Individual Relationship Community
Institutions
and Society
School-based 10-
week program to
build bystander
skills and explore
healthy, respectful
relationships for
8th graders
8-week pilot
program for boys
basketball team to
change peer
group norms that
are supportive of
sexual
harassment
School working
group to change
policies/
procedures to
change school
climate to promote
respect and model
positive behavior
Local coalition
is embarking on
a community-
wide initiative
that includes a
focus on
positive youth
development

19.  tool developed by Larry Cohen, Prevention Institute
 promotes a systematic approach to violence prevention
 utilized to identify multiple levels of primary prevention
activities
 increases comprehension that primary prevention is far
more than education and public awareness campaigns

20. Socio-ecological model Spectrum of Prevention
Individual Increase/strengthen individual
level knowledge and skills
Relationship Increase/strengthen individual
level knowledge and skills
Community Promote community education
Educate service providers
Develop coalitions / networks
Institutional Change organizational
practices
Societal Influence policy legislation

21. Preventing First-time
Perpetration

23.  In 2014 - 2015, staff at Sexual Trauma Services of
the Midlands provided 860 sessions to 9,280
individuals for a total of 20,930 education and
outreach contacts.
 STSM’s Education staff provided 764 sessions to
5,801 individuals for a total of 18,173 contacts.
◦ Of these, 663 sessions were to 3,937 youth for a total of
14,793 education contacts. 97% of youth-focused sessions
were multi-session implementations of the YVP
Curriculum©.
 STSM partnered with 18 middle and high schools,
12 colleges, and 62 businesses, organizations, and
churches to facilitate the Community Education and
Outreach Program.

24.  Comprehensive:
◦ Prevention interventions should include multiple
types of activities, affect multiple settings, and go
beyond awareness-raising. The Socio-ecological
model is one of several models of comprehensive
prevention efforts.
 Theory-Driven:
◦ Strategies should have a scientific justification or
logical rationale.
 Varied Teaching Methods:
◦ Prevention interventions should include interactive,
skills-based components.

25.  Sufficient Dosage:
◦ Participants need to be exposed to enough of the
intervention over time for the programming to
impact participants’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs,
and skill development.
 Appropriately Timed:
◦ Program activities should happen at a time
(developmentally) that can have maximal impact
in a participant’s life.

26.  Positive Relationships:
◦ Programs should foster strong and positive relationships
between youth and adults. This can be accomplished by
creating programs in which participants have the
opportunity to critically evaluate and discuss the
content, and ensuring that the content or the presenter
is relevant to the participants.
 Socio-culturally Relevant:
◦ Programs should reflect the community in which they are
being implemented. Programs should be tailored to
include information and statistics about the local
community rather than more generalized content.

27.  Well-trained Staff:
◦ Programs need to be implemented by staff
members who are sensitive, competent, and have
received sufficient training, support, and
supervision.
 Outcome Evaluation:
◦ A systematic outcome evaluation is necessary to
determine whether a program or strategy worked.

29. The Effect of Gender Stereotypes & Media
Influence on Violence in Relationships

30. Appropriate Boundary Setting and Online
Victimization & Protection Strategies

31. Effective Communication
Strategies

32. • Writers cannot see what speakers are holding.
• Writers cannot talk. Only speakers can talk!
• Speakers are not allowed to see what writers are
doing.
– Speakers are to describe the picture to their
partner. You cannot tell them what it is! You can
only give them instructions such as “Draw a circle.
Draw a triangle next to the circle…”
Good luck!

33. Healthy Relationships and Prevention
of Intimate Partner Violence

34. Prevention of Sexual Harassment
& Stalking

35. SC Laws, Prevention of Sexual Assault &
Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

36. YVP© Program Outcomes

37. Suzanne Swan, PhD
Pete Warren, MS

38. General Findings

40. Questions?
Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands
Office: 803-790-8208
24-Hr Crisis: 803-771-7273 or 800-491-7273
www.stsm.org
SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault
Office: 803-256-2900
www.sccadvasa.org