Working With Adolescents to Prevent Domestic Violence--The Northam Project (From Reducing Criminality--Partnerships and Best Practices, P 1-7, 2000, Adam Graycar, ed. -- See NCJ-186333)

• NCJ Number: 186338
• Author(s): Charles Edwards; Paul Omaji; Irene Froyland
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This paper describes The Northam Project, a program that works with adolescents to prevent domestic violence.

Abstract

The Northam Project was intended to break the trans-generational cycle of domestic violence by preventive work with young people. The single most distinctive feature of the Project is its preventive approach. Its underlying premise is that violence is largely socially learned behavior expressive of cultural values and norms. It advocates strategies that focus on change of behavior rather than change of attitude. The Northam Project evaluation was based on questionnaires completed by pupils at Northam Senior High School at the beginning of Term 1, 1999, immediately prior to the introduction of the curriculum directed at domestic violence and repeated at the beginning of Term 4. Program evaluation gave participant adolescents examples of behavior and required them to identify those that could be construed as domestic violence. The evaluation also obtained the views of individuals and agencies initially identified as stakeholders in the project. The paper recommends that the program at Northam Senior High School be continued and implemented at other schools, expanded to include adolescents who are not regular attendees at school, and implemented at feeder schools.