Evaluation of a Prevention Program for Violence in Teen Dating Relationships

Abstract

Dating violence prevention programs have been implemented since the 1980s but there is still a shortage of studies evaluating these programs. There are even fewer studies for programs targeting teens. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a primary prevention program on dating violence for teens and to compare two different program formats while carefully observing whether particular individuals such as boys or students with negative attitudes at pretest showed any deterioration in their attitudes. The program's effectiveness was demonstrated with boys (N = 222) and with girls (N = 295) from two different schools.