Topic: Academic Performance, Antisocial Behavior
Target Population: Adolescents
Sector: School-Based
This program is for students who are in middle school and high school.
The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project (VPP), a school-based program, is designed to prevent violence by teaching youth communication, relationship-building, and conflict-resolution skills.
A multi-site, quasi-experimental trial assessed violence-related behaviors and attitudes of New York City (NYC) middle school students. At baseline, the treatment group displayed lower levels of peer support; higher tolerance for aggression; more verbally aggressive, physically aggressive, and antisocial conflict resolution strategies; and fewer pro-social verbal conflict resolution strategies compared to the control group. Overall, student attitudes and behaviors became more negative over time in both groups. However, VPP participation slowed this growth such that the treatment group had no decline in peer support, no increase in normative beliefs about aggression or use of verbally aggressive conflict resolution strategies, and decreased use of physically aggressive and antisocial conflict resolution strategies. A second study in 9th and 10th grade students assessed changes over 1 school year and demonstrated that program participants experienced an increase in academic self concept, a decrease in the frequency of verbally aggressive conflict resolution strategies, a slower rate of increase in the use of antisocial conflict resolution strategies, and declines in the frequency of avoidant conflict resolution strategies compared to a control group.
VPP is designed to help participants learn to respond to conflict nonviolently by improving communication skills, developing tolerance, and learning non-aggressive conflict resolution strategies. The curriculum is adaptable to meet the needs of the student and school and is delivered by a trained facilitator. Activities use role-play and group discussions and address trust development and cooperative work. Lessons include icebreaker or team-building exercises, a main activity, and a daily activity review.
The curriculum contains the following:
The VPP program was developed in 2000 and has reached approximately 150,000 students in NYC public schools. Each year, about 125 NYC public schools implement the VPP program.
The program is delivered by a same-gender, baccalaureate-degree level or higher facilitator who is of a similar ethnic background as the participants. A required 2- to 5-day, on-site training, which includes biannual Webinars and up to 2 hours of technical assistance and coaching, costs $318 to $899 per participant for a minimum of 15 participants. This cost does not include trainer's travel expenses. Training handouts are $40 each, and optional on-site booster training and annual 2-day, follow-up training in New York are available for $229 to $359 per participant per day. Additional technical assistance and coaching are available for $150 per hour.
Considerations for implementing this program include recruiting facilitators with a suitable educational background, ensuring facilitators receive training, acquiring required program materials, and creating time within existing curriculum for program lessons.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing the VPP program, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
The curriculum, which is designed to fit into a semester or trimester, includes twelve 45-minute weekly lessons.
The cost of a set of the Administrator's Guide, Facilitator's Program Guide, and Curriculum Manual is $397. Student workbooks are $22 each.
To move the VPP program to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating sustained, positive effects and one external replication that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes should be conducted independently of the program developer.
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 the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact The Leadership Program by mail 535 8th Avenue, Floor 16, New York, NY 10018, phone 1-212-625-8001, fax 1-212-625-8020, or visit https://www.tlpnyc.com/contact-us
Chauveron, L. M., Thompkins, A. C., & Harel, O. (2012). Urban youth violence prevention: Effectiveness of a scaled-up practice-to-research programme. Journal of Children's Services, 7(4), 246-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/17466661211286472
Thompkins, A. C., Chauveron, L. M., Harel, O., & Perkins, D. F. (2014). Optimizing violence prevention programs: An examination of program effectiveness among urban high school students. The Journal of School Health, 84(7), 435-443. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12171
Gavine, A. J., Donnelly, P. D., & Williams, D. J. (2016). Effectiveness of universal school-based programs for prevention of violence in adolescents. Psychology of Violence, 6(3), 390-399. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000052
