In Massachusetts, 20% of high school-aged female respondents to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported having been physically and/or sexually hurt by a dating partner. These statistics make clear the pervasiveness of this public health issue and the need for a sound school health education program to address it. This presentation will examine classroom exercises on dating violence and their impact on 170 ninth through twelfth graders. In addition, an evaluation of several classroom exercises designed to break down barriers to learning and behavior change will be discussed.
Classroom exercises were designed to address the student's interests, lack of knowledge, and misperceptions about dating violence. Students' values and attitudes regarding acceptable behavior in dating relationships were discussed. Issues such as the accountability of the student-perpetrator for his/her actions sparked some very inspiring classroom debates. In poetry-writing and role-play exercises, students expressed their fears of being ostracized by their peers, even their own friends, if they reported a fellow student for abusing them. Students stated that although the presence of school policies and health classes on dating violence is important in the prevention of such violence, the key factor for them was whether student-victims really believed that swift and just action would be taken on their behalf against perpetrators.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to discuss some reasons abused teens decide not to report dating violence. 2. Participants will be able to describe several class exercises that have students examine their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors regarding dating violence. 3. Participants will be able to list some key factors that teens feel schools must address to best support dating violence victims
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.