Preventing Youth Violence: School-based Programs Work!

With literally hundreds of violence prevention programs designed for children in the school setting, how do prevention specialists and educators choose the best programs to meet their needs? Especially in this era of limited funds and heavy emphasis on evidence-based practice and policy, it is increasingly important for practitioners and policymakers to know what works.

Two independent expert reviews, taking very different approaches, scrutinized the field of school-based prevention programs and arrived at the same conclusion: despite many variations in target audience and curriculum format, as a group, school-based programs work to reduce aggression and violence. NCPC’s inaugural Crime Prevention Research Digest summarizes the results of these reviews in language geared to busy practitioners and policymakers. The eight-page report also points out implications for practitioners, describes three specific programs that have been found effective by recognized evaluators, and includes resources where readers can find additional information.

As Judy Kirby, NCPC’s managing director of Communications and Research Services observed, “Research on programs and policies is typically presented in academic formats and language that are directed primarily to other researchers. Many practitioners and policymakers may lack the skills—and most certainly lack the time—to sift through volumes of books and journals to learn about any given topic of interest. The Crime Prevention Research Digest is designed to bridge this gap in communication.”

Single copies of the Crime Prevention Research Digest are available free except for the cost of shipping and handling. Bulk copies are $.50 each plus shipping and handling. You can order your copies by calling 800-627-2911. Look for another Digest focusing on the effect of violent video games, coming soon from NCPC.