Respect Works!
The “Respect WORKS!” Campaign uses a “four step approach” to preventing dating violence. These steps include strategies that engage each level of the social ecology and together create a comprehensive approach to preventing domestic and dating violence in a school setting.
- Step 1: Develop a school policy on teen dating violence. Break the Cycle’s School Policy Kit can be used to guide a school through this process.
- Step 2: Educate students about dating abuse and how to recognize healthy relationships. Hazelden’s Safe Dates is an evidence-based program that reduces incidents teen physical and sexual dating violence.
- Step 3: Reinforce student learning with Break the Cycle’s interactive Ending Violence program. It is designed to educate students about their rights and responsibilities in a dating relationship. Ending Violence builds on key prevention skills from Safe Dates.
- Step 4: Activate student leadership on the issue of dating violence. Break the Cycle’s Speak.Act.Change: Youth Advocacy Kit is a service-learning program that engages students through youth activism and peer-leadership. The goal is to address teen dating violence in schools and communities. Designed for students ages 13 and over, it trains the next generation of anti-violence advocates.
This is an example of one comprehensive strategy made up of multiple complimentary components that goes beyond awareness raising and implementing policy but also invites students to take leadership on the issue. With dating violence curricula, a school policy kit and mechanisms for cultivating student leaders, this multi-faceted approach holds much promise.
Impact: Research demonstrates the effectiveness of Safe Dates. Learn more here.
School readiness should be considered before adaptation. Training and support for implementation is available through Break the Cycle.
