Evaluation of the expect respect support group program: A violence prevention strategy for youth exposed to violence

Abstract

In the present study, we assess the effects of the Expect Respect Support Groups (ERSG) on frequency of teen dating violence (TDV) and general youth violence. ERSG is a school-based violence prevention program for youth who have been exposed to violence in their home, school, or community. Boys and girls (N=1,678, M=14.3, S.D.=1.7, Range=11-17) from 36 schools in Texas participated in this accelerated longitudinal (7-year trajectory) study beginning in 2011. Latent growth curve analyses were conducted using three waves of data from three cross-sectional cohorts of adolescents. Among boys, the number of ERSG sessions attended related to incremental declines in psychological TDV perpetration and victimization, physical TDV victimization, sexual TDV perpetration and victimization, reactive aggression, and proactive aggression. Girls attending ERSG demonstrated reductions in reactive and proactive aggression. The present findings suggest ERSG may be an effective cross-cutting strategy to reduce TDV and other forms of violence among high-risk boys and possibly girls. This information provides valuable understanding of TDV and youth violence in high-risk populations and may be useful in tailoring future prevention efforts to different groups of teens.

Effects of Dating Matters® on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Outcomes among Middle School Youth: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Step (Espelage et al 2013), Expect Respect Support Groups (ERSG; Reidy et al 2017), and Shifting Boundaries (Taylor et al 2013). These interventions-most developed to prevent TDV-focus on teaching skills for healthy relationships (including healthy sexuality and sexual consent), empowering positive bystander behavior, promoting social norms that protect against violence, and/or creating protective school environments to reduce rates of SV among middle and high school students.…”

Efficacy evaluation of "Dat-e Adolescence": A dating violence prevention program in Spain

“…In the same vein, the program was implemented by researchers during this initial trial in line with recommendations made by Flay et al [ 77 ] and Gottfredson et al [ 54 ]. These same implementation conditions have been carried out in earlier programs [ 79 , 80 , among other], because it ensures greater control of the implementation conditions. However, teaching staff’s non-active participation in the program’s implementation could limit the potential impact they have on changing the school climate and culture when it comes to dating violence.…”

Boys are victims too? Sexual dating violence and injury among high-risk youth

“…Pertinently, a recent evaluation of the “ Expect Respect Support Groups ” intervention - a TDV prevention program developed for youth exposed to violence in the home, school, and community- reported reductions in boys' victimization and perpetration of sexual TDV. Moreover, the authors found that this intervention was most effective with the boys who reported the most violence at the intervention onset (Reidy et al, 2017). This finding is significant because it suggests boys' perpetration of sexual TDV may be tied to their experiences of victimization.…”