NCJ Number
157608
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 18-20
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In 1991 the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council and the Framingham Police Department joined with local educators and victim advocates to create a proactive program for seventh- grade and eighth-grade students designed to prevent violent and abusive behaviors in domestic settings later in life.
Abstract
The curriculum is presented in five 1-hour sessions that can be presented in health classes as part of the regular school curriculum. Sessions are led by two-member teams composed of a police officer (female) and a teacher (male). Officers are selected for the program based on their demonstrated sensitivity to issues of domestic violence, as well as their field experience, performance in training and role-playing, and teaching ability. The teams are given instruction on topics related to domestic violence. The first session of the curriculum teaches students that abuse can be mental, emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical. In the second session, instructors use commercial advertisements and class discussion to explore the link between stereotypes and violence. The third session is designed to sensitize students to the warning signs of domestic violence; batterers and victims may be invited to speak to the class. The fourth and fifth sessions are set aside for topics chosen by the instructors. Possible topics are conflict resolution skills, ways to end difficult relationships, the creation of networks for peer support, and community resources for victims and batterers. Program coordinators measured the impact of the program by evaluating changes in the attitudes of students who took the course. Of the 700 students who completed the surveys given before and after the classes, 78 percent of the girls and 59 percent of the boys felt that the program would be useful in preventing violence in current or future relationships. The survey also showed improvement in the students' ability to define and identify abusive behavior. 7 notes