Promising

Expect Respect®

Topic: Bullying, Emotional Competency, Intimate Partner Violence, Relationships

Target Population: Adolescents, Middle Childhood, Providers, School Community

Sector: Community-Based, School-Based

Target Audience

This program is for elementary, middle, or high school students who have been exposed to violence (e.g., domestic violence, child maltreatment, bullying, sexual harassment, dating violence, sexual violence), teachers, and the school community.

Summary

Expect Respect®, a school- or community-based, teen-dating, violence-prevention (TDV) program, is designed to help participants build safe and positive relationships and learn how to prevent dating and peer abuse and violence.

Evidence

Results from a quasi-experimental study on the effects of support groups among teens demonstrated dose-response relationships in which a greater number of sessions attended led to significant decreases for boys in psychological TDV perpetration and victimization, physical TDV victimization, sexual TDV perpetration and victimization, reactive aggression, and proactive aggression and significant decreases for girls in reactive and proactive aggression. Results from a single-group, pretest/posttest study of support groups in teens indicated that healthy conflict-resolution skills significantly improved in the entire sample, and, among those who experienced high levels of victimization or perpetration at baseline, there were significant decreases in victimization and perpetration at posttest. Results from the first year of a quasi-experimental study conducted in elementary schools demonstrated increases in sexual-harassment knowledge, awareness of bullying, and willingness to intervene on behalf of another student being bullied in intervention schools compared to control schools.

Components

Expect Respect intends to prevent dating and sexual violence and promote healthy relationships. The program consists of three main components:

Expect Respect support groups and counseling - Provide counseling and curriculum-based, support-group sessions to youth. Group activities include watching educational videos, participating in interactive games and role-play, and expressing creativity via art and poetry. Middle and high school lessons focus on helping youth develop communication skills, set boundaries, and learn skills to create healthy relationships. Elementary lessons focus on helping children enhance emotion regulation, communication skills, safety, and peer support.
Youth leadership development - Educate and empower youth with knowledge and skills they can use to become role models and create and lead efforts in their schools and communities to address bullying, harassment, and dating abuse and foster respectful, nurturing relationships.
Educational theatre (for middle and high school students) – Initiate and support dialogue about healthy relationships and prevention of bullying, sexual harassment, sexting, sexual assault, and dating abuse.

The program may be implemented with flexibility and one, two, or all three of these components may be delivered.

Previous Use

Expect Respect was created by SafePlace: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survival Center in Austin, Texas, and has been implemented in schools since 1989.

Training

This program is facilitated by advocates, school personnel, and other community partners. The program manual contains all curricula, program forms, and other materials needed to implement the program. An optional, 1-day, on-site training is also available. Additional resources for educators may be found by visiting https://www.safeaustin.org/our-services/prevention-and-education/expect-respect/resources-for-educators/.

Considerations

Considerations for implementing this program include recruiting facilitators and arranging for them to receive training, if desired; obtaining buy-in and support from youth, parents, school staff, and community organizations; and making time to implement various program components.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Implementation

If you are interested in implementing Expect Respect, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Time

If facilitated in a school setting, this program runs throughout the school year, and all services are provided during the school day. There are 24-weekly sessions for students in grades 6 through 12 and 16-weekly sessions for students in grades 3 through 5.

Cost

The Expect Respect Program Manual costs $250. Please visit https://www.safeaustin.org/our-services/prevention-and-education/expect-respect/program-manuals-and-one-day-training/ to order.

Evaluation Plan

To move Expect Respect to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least two evaluations must be conducted that demonstrate sustained, positive outcomes. At least one of these evaluations should be conducted independently of program developers.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact The SAFE Alliance by mail P.O. Box 19454, Austin, TX 78760, phone 1-512-267-7233, or visit https://www.safeaustin.org/our-services/prevention-and-education/expect-respect/

Source

https://www.safeaustin.org/our-services/prevention-and-education/expect-respect/ and https://preventipv.org/materials/expect-respect-school-based-program-preventing-teen-dating-violence-and-promoting-safe-and

References

Used in Placement

Ball, B., Tharp, A. T., Noonan, R. K., Valle, L. A., Hamburger, M. E., & Rosenbluth, B. (2012). Expect Respect support groups: Preliminary evaluation of a dating violence prevention program for at-risk youth. *Violence Against Women, 18(*7), 746-762. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801212455188

Meraviglia, M. G., Becker, H., Rosenbluth, B., Sanchez, E., & Robertson, T. (2003). The Expect Respect project: Creating a positive elementary school climate. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(11), 1347-1360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260503257457

Reidy, D. E., Holland, K. M., Cortina, K., Ball, B., & Rosenbluth, B. (2017). Evaluation of the Expect Respect support group program: A violence prevention strategy for youth exposed to violence. Preventive Medicine, 100, 235-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.05.003

Sanchez, E., Robertson, T. R., Lewis, C. M., Rosenbluth, B., Bohman, T., & Casey, D. M. (2001). Preventing bullying and sexual harassment in elementary schools: The Expect Respect model. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2(2-3), 157-180. https://doi.org/10.1300/J135v02n02_10

Not Used in Placement

Not Empirical

Ball, B., Holland, K. M., Marshall, K. J., Lippy, C., Jain, S., Souders, K., & Westby, R. P. (2015). Implementing a targeted teen dating abuse prevention program: Challenges and successes experienced by Expect Respect facilitators. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(2), S40-S46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.06.021

Ball, B., Kerig, P. K., & Rosenbluth, B. (2009). "Like a family but better because you can actually trust each other": The Expect Respect dating violence prevention program for at-risk youth. Health Promotion Practice, 10(1), 45S-58S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839908322115

Kerig, P. K., Volz, A. R., Moeddel, M. A., & Cuellar, R. E. (2010). Implementing dating violence prevention programs with flexibility, fidelity, and sensitivity to diversity: Lessons learned from Expect Respect. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(6), 661-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2010.502079

Last Reviewed Date: 9/8/2023