Project Overview - Phase I

Youth dating and peer violence remain significant public health concerns in Canada. Decades of practice and research have shown that there is no quick-fix solution to these problems. This project applies an innovative multi-systemic intervention model that uses schools as hubs to incorporate prevention activities aimed at youth in classrooms, schools, through work with parents and families, and community partners. It builds on an empirically validated dating violence prevention program (The Fourth R) and offers programming components that have been enhanced to include Aboriginal perspectives (see diagram below for range of intervention components offered at each level of the model).

Broad Goals of Intervention

• Improve youth relationships through an integrated multi-level approach that uses skills-based approaches in a variety of settings
• Reduce dating and peer violence among youth
• Offer an enhanced version of the intervention that incorporates Aboriginal perspectives to provide a more culturally-relevant range of programming for communities
• Improve coordination and collaboration of various settings and individuals who are involved with youth

Preliminary Desired Outcomes

At the individual level outcomes include improvements in protective factors such as interpersonal skills and efficacy, positive relations with peers and adults, social integration and connectedness, and personal growth. Culturally specific protective factors targeted in the Aboriginal perspectives enhancements include an increased sense of cultural identity and better collaboration between conventional organizations (such as schools) and Aboriginal families and partners.

At the family level, the main outcome is increased engagement and mobilization of parents as partners and leaders in violence prevention. As a secondary outcome, increased awareness and competency with respect to fostering media literacy among children and youth are expected.

At the school level, teachers, administrators and other staff will demonstrate increased awareness of and self-efficacy in using best practice approaches to violence prevention. They will also demonstrate improved initiatives with respect to engaging Aboriginal parents specifically.

At the community level, outcomes include multi-stakeholder committees that are actively involved in adapting the program intervention components to meet the needs of their communities. A secondary outcome will be improved awareness of and self-efficacy in delivering programs that use best practice approaches, through increased training.

With respect to partnerships, outcomes include the infrastructure for a national Community of Practice that will provide a backbone for scaling this model up around the country. An equally important outcome is a successful partnership between service providers and educators, and a corporate partner to develop a site-by-site funding model. Finally, improved collaboration among organizations and individuals working with youth is expected.

For more information about the project, please contact Naomi Bird (email).