True Love: Effectiveness of a School-Based Program to Reduce Dating Violence Among Adolescents in Mexico City

Abstract

Dating violence is a significant problem in Mexico. National survey data estimated 76 % of Mexican youth have been victims of psychological aggression in their relationships; 15.5 % have experienced physical violence; and 16.5 % of women have been the victims of sexual violence. Female adolescents perpetrate physical violence more frequently than males, while perpetration between genders of other types of violence is unclear. Furthermore, poor, marginalized youth are at a higher risk for experiencing dating violence. "Amor… pero del Bueno" (True Love) was piloted in two urban, low-income high schools in Mexico City to prevent dating violence. The intervention consisted of school-level and individual-level components delivered over 16 weeks covering topics on gender roles, dating violence, sexual rights, and strategies for coping with dating violence. The short-term impact was assessed quasi-experimentally, using matching techniques and fixed-effects models. A sample of 885 students (381 students exposed to the classroom-based curriculum of the individual-level component (SCC, IL-1) and 540 exposed only to the school climate component (SCC)) was evaluated for the following: changes in dating violence behaviors (psychological, physical and sexual), beliefs related to gender norms, knowledge, and skills for preventing dating violence. We found a 58 % (p < 0.05) and 55 % (p < 0.05) reduction in the prevalence of perpetrated and experienced psychological violence, respectively, among SCC, IL-1 males compared to males exposed only to the SCC component. We also found a significant reduction in beliefs and attitudes justifying sexism and violence in dating relationships among SCC, IL-1 females (6 %; p < 0.05) and males (7 %; p < 0.05).

Community interventions related to intimate partner violence among adolescents: scope review

“…Regarding the gender category, four interventions stimulated changes in attitudes that reiterated gender inequalities in relationships among adolescents (17,32,34,44) , based on information on the determination of IPV among adolescents based on stereotypes attributed to the female and the male. The intervention DaVIPoP (32) was highlighted, during an optional gender discipline.…”

“…The second group was composed of interventions, using innovative strategies close to the active teaching-learning methodology, which considers the construction of knowledge from the social insertion of the adolescent. In this perspective, the use of games, videos, vignettes, storytelling, music analysis, theater, case studies, workshops and visual interventio ns (16)(17)20,22,25,(27)(28)(29)31,(35)(36)(37)(38)43,46) . In some studies, the intervention used one or more strategies, concomitantly.…”

“…Developing ability to maintain healthy relationships Raible et al, 2017 (18) ; Joppa et al, 2016 (19) ; McLeod, Jones, Cramer, 2015 (25) ; Miller et al, 2015 (22) ; Oscós-Sanchez, Lesser, Oscós-Flores, 2013 (31) ; Hamby, Puy, Monnier, 2012 (35) ; Macgowan, 1997 (45) ; Pick et al, 2010 (36) ; Gage, Honoré, Deleon, 2014 (21) ; Peskin et al, 2014 (28) ; Maya, Ortega-Rivera, Jiménez, 2013 (32) ; Levesque et al, 2016 (20) Types of violence perpetrated by intimate partners and how to recognize each form Sosa-Rubi et al, 2017 (17) ; Sargent et al, 2017 (16) ; Joppa et al, 2016 (19) ; Belknap et al, 2013 (29) ; Macgowan, 1997 (45) ; Pick et al, 2010 (36) ; Genovés, Tello, 2009 (38) ; Maya, Ortega-Rivera, Jiménez, 2013 (32) ; Hamby, Puy, Monnier, 2012 (35) ; Peskin et al, 2014 (28) Knowledge of non-violent alternatives for conflict resolution in affective or sexual relationships Avery-leaf et al, 1997 (43) Macgowan, 1997 (45) ; Pick et al, 2010 (36) ; Gage, Honoré, Deleon, 2014 (21) ; Levesque et al, 2016 (20) Knowledge about resources and institutions that can provide help to the adolescent in situations of IPV Avery-leaf et al, 1997 (44) ; Macgowan, 1997 (45) ; Pick et al, 2010 (36) ; Gage, Honoré, Deleon, 2014 (21) ; Raible et al, 2017 (18) ; Sargent et al, 2017 (16) Role of friends as respondents in IPV among adolescents situation…”

“…This difficulty in defining roles and responsibilities in the planning and execution of intersectoral interventions, especially between school and health, was identified in another study (48) . Several studies have converged to the understanding that providing adolescents with information about IPV represents a crucial strategy for preventing and coping with this problem (16)(17)(18)(19)21,(28)(29)32,(35)(36)38,(44)(45) . For that, they used both traditional and innovative teaching-learning methodologies.…”

“…Some investigations (17,32,34,44) have pointed out the need to consider issues related to the gender category for the development of IPV among adolescents prevention and coping programs. Although the first study indicating this need was carried out almost two decades ago, it was found that the current.…”