The Peacemakers Program
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Where the program was applied
Country of application
Description

This is a school program for students from the fourth to the eighth grades aimed at preventing violence and improving interpersonal behavior among children.
Techniques are taught to reduce impulsivity, strengthen self-regulation of emotions, increase participants’ sensitivity to reflect on the effects their behavior will have on other people, and strengthen consistent thinking and flexibility when responding to interpersonal problems.
Students were taught how to avoid conflicts, how to defend themselves without putting pressure on others, and how to improve their communication skills.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that the program led to a significant decrease in self-reported measures of aggression; disciplinary incidents; participation in conflict mediation; suspensions for violent behavior; and an increase in psychosocial skills [1].
The study had a quasi-experimental design with 4th- and 5th-grade students from three public elementary schools in the Midwest of the United States [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Shapiro, J. P., Burgoon, J. D., Welker, C. J. & Clough, J. B. (2002). Evaluation of the peacemakers program: School-based violence prevention for students in grades four through eight. Psychology in the Schools, 39(1), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10040

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