A systematic review identified and analyzed thirteen experimental or quasi-experimental studies on school programs aimed at reducing sexual and dating violence. Most of these programs (10) were implemented in North America. Of this total, five showed positive impacts, two had mixed results and three showed no impact on intimate partner violence. According to the authors of this review, the most effective and promising interventions were characterized by longer programs, conducted by highly qualified and trained facilitators or teachers, using participatory learning approaches (including critical reflection and development of skills), based on gender theories, and evaluated during a long-term follow-up [1].
In terms of school-based (peer-to-peer) violence, this same systematic review identified good evidence (from Africa and Central and South Asia) that this type of violence can be prevented when appropriate interventions are applied (using participatory methods, focusing on capacity-building, and approaching violence prevention from a gender perspective), even in vulnerable contexts. Two rigorous Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of two different interventions found that such actions reduced peer violence [1].
A systematic review of studies on prevention programs targeting different forms of violence in schools found that only a few of them were promising in terms of preventing dating violence. Programs with methodologies focused on behavioral therapy and social and emotional skills, mentoring, or peer mediation showed positive results in terms of reducing peer aggression. However, the authors point out that more evidence is still needed on the long-term sustainability of the positive effects [2].
Another systematic review with a meta-analysis included 18 experimental studies that examined the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing intimate partner violence (sexual and/or physical) among adolescents (13 of these studies were implemented in schools). The review found that the implementation of these interventions was associated with a significant – albeit small – reduction in physical violence. However, the effects found for the outcomes associated with sexual violence were not statistically significant. Experiments involving high-risk adolescents (with a history of violence) tended to report significantly higher effect magnitudes compared to universal programs. Similarly, the initiatives that had the active involvement of parents reported significantly higher effect magnitudes than those that only involved adolescents. Considerable differences were also observed between actions with adolescents under the age of 15 compared to those that included older participants, with the latter group reporting higher effect magnitudes than the former [3].