DOI: 10.3886/icpsr02704.v1
title: Evaluation of Violence Prevention Programs in Four New York City Middle Schools, 1993-1994
title: Version 1

description: This research project sought to evaluate the impact of
 broad-based multifaceted violence prevention programs versus programs
 that have a more limited focus. Two specific programs were evaluated
 in four New York City middle schools. The more limited program used
 Project S.T.O.P.(Students Teaching Options for Peace), a conflict
 resolution and peer mediation training program. The full
 multi-faceted program combined Project S.T.O.P. with Safe Harbor, a
 program that provided victimization counseling and taught violence
 prevention. The effects of this combined program, offered in three of
 the middle schools, were compared to those of just the Project
 S.T.O.P. program alone in one middle school. To study the program
 models, researchers used a quasi-experimental pre-post design, with
 nonequivalent comparison groups. Questionnaires were given to students
 to assess the impact of the two programs. Students were asked about
 their knowledge and use of prevention programs in their schools. Data
 were also collected on students' history of victimization, such as
 whether they were ever attacked at school, stolen from, mugged, or
 threatened with a weapon. Students were also asked about their
 attitudes toward verbal abuse, victims of violence, and conditions
 when revenge is acceptable, and their exposure to violence, including
 whether they knew anyone who was sexually abused, beaten, or attacked
 because of race, gender, or sexual orientation. Additional questions
 covered students' use of aggressive behaviors, such as whether they
 had threatened someone with a weapon or had beaten, slapped, hit, or
 kicked someone. Data were also gathered on the accessibility of
 alcohol, various drugs, weapons, and stolen property. Demographic
 variables include students' school grade, class, sex, number of
brothers and sisters, and household composition.
description: Since the 1980s, violence prevention programs
 have focused on teaching youths alternative conflict resolution skills
 through curricula and dispute mediation. Most of these prevention
 programs have addressed violence in limited contexts. For example,
 some focused on conflict resolution, some on assisting victims of
 violence, and some on violence in dating relationships. Because the
 effects of experiences with violence are likely to be cumulative and
 to reinforce each other, it is postulated that the effectiveness of
 violence prevention is maximized through a broad-based, multifaceted
 program. This research project sought to evaluate the impact of such a
 program by comparing it to a program that had a more limited
 focus. Two specific programs were evaluated in four New York City
 middle schools. The multifaceted program was comprised of Project
 S.T.O.P.(Students Teaching Options for Peace), a conflict resolution
 and peer mediation training program, in conjunction with Safe Harbor,
 a victimization counseling and violence prevention program. The
 comparison program consisted solely of the Project S.T.O.P.
 program. The purpose of the comparison was to assess changes in: (1)
 students' knowledge and skill in how to resolve conflict nonviolently,
 (2) students' attitudes about violence and its acceptability, (3)
 students' behavior with respect to fighting and other aggressive
 behavior, (4) students' use of services for personal victimization
 experiences, and (5) the amount of disciplinary action and weapons
possession in the school.
description: Researchers assessed the impact of the two
 violence prevention programs using a quasi-experimental pre-post
 design, with nonequivalent comparison groups. Three of the schools
 (Schools B, C, and D) had a multifaceted program that offered Project
 S.T.O.P. in conjunction with the Safe Harbor program, while one school
 (School A) provided only the Project S.T.O.P. program. In all schools,
 Project S.T.O.P. had been in place for approximately one year before
 the onset of the evaluation. Data were collected through
 administration of questionnaires to students. The process began in
 February 1993, the same month that the Safe Harbor program began in
 three of the schools. Due to limited evaluation resources and the
 eventual discontinuation of the Safe Harbor program in one school
 (School D) during the second year of evaluation, data collection
 efforts were more limited in two of the schools (Schools C and
 D). Data were collected from students in grades 6 to 8 at four
 different time periods: (1) before the Safe Harbor program began
 (February 1993) in all schools, (2) at the end of the first program
 year (June 1993) in all schools, (3) at the beginning of the second
 program year (November 1993) for new 7th graders in Schools A, B, and
 C, and (4) at the end of the second program year (June 1994) in
Schools A, B, and C.
description: Students were asked about their knowledge and use
 of prevention programs in their schools. Data were collected on
 students' history of victimization, such as whether they were ever
 attacked at school, stolen from, mugged, or threatened with a weapon.
 Students were also asked about their attitudes toward verbal abuse,
 victims of violence, and conditions when revenge is acceptable, and
 their exposure to violence, including whether they knew anyone who was
 sexually abused, beaten, or attacked because of race, gender, or
 sexual orientation. Additional questions covered students' use of
 aggressive behaviors, such as whether they had threatened someone with
 a weapon or had beaten, slapped, hit, or kicked someone. Data were
 also gathered on the accessibility of alcohol, various drugs, weapons,
 and stolen property. Demographic variables include students' school,
 grade, class, sex, number of brothers and sisters, and household
composition.
description: Response Rates: Unknown
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: Convenience sample.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Evaluation of Violence Prevention Programs in Four New York City Middle Schools, 1993-1994
description: Middle school students in New York City.