The Crime Solutions platform includes studies that demonstrate that interventions to reduce sexual violence among young couples increase the participants’ knowledge of relevant information [1][2].
One of the reviews used by Crime Solutions was reviewed and published by the Campbell Collaboration. According to this review, focused on school-based interventions, these programs improve young people’s knowledge of abusive/violent relationships, promote attitudes that reduce young people’s acceptance of dating violence, and increase their awareness of appropriate conflict resolution attitudes. However, this same systematic review indicates that these programs have little impact on behavioral change and therefore do not substantially affect perpetration and/or victimization in episodes of dating violence. No statistically significant effects were recorded for either of these variables (perpetration and victimization) when the results were measured immediately after the intervention (post-test), and, when measured after a follow-up period, only positive effects on perpetration, but not on victimization, were observed [1].
Sexual assault education programs implemented on college campi improve the attitude toward violence, such as non-acceptance of rape, reduction of sex-role stereotypes, promotion of a more positive attitude toward women, and mitigation of feelings of shame for having been a victim of this type of violence [3].
In the case of programs that focus specifically on children, benefits have been observed in terms of knowledge and skills related to protective and preventive behaviors [4][5].
In the case of sexual assault prevention programs through the role of bystanders, studies reviewed by Crime Solutions indicate that interventions reinforce the bystanders’ intention to intervene in sexual assault situations [6]. One of the reviews used by Crime Solutions was reviewed and published by the Campbell Collaboration. According to this review, these interventions have beneficial effects on young people’s propensity to take responsibility for intervening/acting in cases of violence, as well as on their knowledge of strategies that can be used to intervene in those cases. However, no evidence of effects on the perpetration of actual sexual assaults has been found [7].
Lastly, Crime Solutions finds that male-focused sexual violence prevention programs are not effective to reduce those crimes, although they do work to reduce men’s intention to be sexually aggressive in the future and to increase men’s intention to participate in prevention efforts in the future (e.g., stopping a potential assault they face) [8].
The Crime Reduction Toolkit platform identified and analyzed three systematic reviews, and notes that there is evidence that educational interventions aimed at preventing youth dating violence contribute to the prevention of this form of violence; however, overall, these interventions did not have a statistically significant effect on its incidence.
Some of the studies analyzed showed a statistically significant decrease in sexual assault victimization and/or physical violence perpetration. However, others did not detect any statistically significant effect on these variables. According to this platform, these interventions can help to reduce those rates by developing skills among young people for effective communication, for dealing constructively with stress, disappointment, and rejection, and for resolving conflicts and promoting healthier relationships [1][2][9].