title: Youth exposure to violence prevention programs in a national sample.
abstract: This paper assesses how many children and youth have had exposure to programs aimed at preventing various kinds of violence perpetration and victimization. Based on a national sample of children 5-17, 65% had ever been exposed to a violence prevention program, 55% in the past year. Most respondents (71%) rated the programs as very or somewhat helpful. Younger children (5-9) who had been exposed to higher quality prevention programs had lower levels of peer victimization and perpetration. But the association did not apply to older youth or youth exposed to lower quality programs. Disclosure to authorities was also more common for children with higher quality program exposure who had experienced peer victimizations or conventional crime victimizations. The findings are consistent with possible benefits from violence prevention education programs. However, they also suggest that too few programs currently include efficacious components.
authors.affiliation: Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Finkelhor
authors.affiliation: Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanderminden
authors.affiliation: Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shattuck
authors.affiliation: Sewanee the University of the South, Sewanee, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003415:Crime; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Bullying; Crime; Dating violence; Sexual assault; Victimization