Preventing Violence by Teachers
Condition: Violence by Teachers
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Brief Summary:

      Violence against children is regarded as a key contributor to poverty and damages lifetime
      prospects for children in disadvantaged communities. However, physical violence is legally
      accepted as a disciplinary measure in schools in 68 states worldwide. For example, in
      Tanzania, corporal punishment is still lawful at school. It is thus not surprising that
      recently very high rates of violence (~90%) were found at secondary schools. For children of
      primary school age, no such information is available from representative samples to date.

      Moreover, in recent studies teachers often report having to resort to violent disciplinary
      methods referring to a lack of nonviolent disciplinary alternatives . However, only few
      interventions that aim at equipping teachers with non-violent action alternatives in
      Sub-Saharan Africa have been implemented, and even fewer have been scientifically evaluated.

      Thus, in this study the investigators will implement and assess the efficacy of an
      intervention aimed at reducing the use of harsh and violent disciplinary measures in schools.
      Interaction Competencies with Children - for Teacher (ICC-T) aims to enable teachers to use
      non-violent disciplinary measures and to strengthen their competencies in non-violent
      interactions. Previously its feasibility and efficacy were proven in secondary schools in
      Tanzania. The present study aims to adapt ICC-T to, and evaluate its efficacy on, primary
      school level. The training is expected to improve the teacher-student relationships, change
      teacher's attitudes towards corporal punishment and their use of violent disciplinary
      measures.
    

Detailed description: 
      Sampling will be based on a matched cluster randomized controlled trial design. Study
      participants (i.e. students, teachers) will be recruited from 6 regions in Tanzania. In each
      region two primary schools from different districts will be included. From each school 80
      pupils and minimum 20 teachers will be recruited. The final sample will comprise 960 pupils
      in the age-range between 9 and 12 years and at least 240 teachers from 12 different primary
      schools.

      From each region one primary schools will be randomly allocated to the intervention group
      (that will receive the ICC-T intervention training) and the control group (that will receive
      no training). The study will have two data assessment points: baseline assessment prior to
      the intervention and follow-up assessment three months after the intervention. In addition,
      feasibility data will be assessed in the intervention group at the beginning and the end of
      the intervention.

      Study measures will cover the following topics: socio-demographic data, common disciplinary
      measure used at school, attitudes towards violent discipline measures, students' mental
      health problems.
    

Intervention name(s): Interactions Competencies with Children - for Teachers (ICC-T)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Core training components include teacher-student interaction, maltreatment prevention, effective discipline strategies, identifying and supporting burdened students and implementation of the training materials into the school setting.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: violence