With support from the National Institute of Justice, NORC at the Univeristy of Chicago is conducting a three-year randomized multi-level experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-level longitudinal approach to dating violence and sexual harassment (DV/H) prevention programming for public middle school students from New York City.

loss of a sense of reality), and/or to a consequence of significant violent traumatization—such as that of early physical abuse, that contributes to the development of dissociative states of mind (i.e.

In addition, implementation of the program mattered.

Students who received more of the program showed delays in sexual activity and decreases in peer violence/bullying perpetration, and they rejected pro-violence beliefs and gender stereotypes.

Finally, when the researchers compared the schools with the program to those without the program, they found that students in schools with the program reported less bullying and substance use, whether they participated in the program or not.

These effects were greater for schools that most closely adhered to the program model. The program did not reduce dating violence overall, but the program was effective in reducing targeted behaviors for students already engaged in dating violence.