Research in Brief
Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls: Current Knowledge about Program Effectiveness

This brief is based on the report entitled: Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls: Current Knowledge about Program Effectiveness report (PDF) written by Claire Crooks et al, prepared for Women and Gender Equality Canada.^{Footnote 1}

Background

Preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a critical public health and social policy imperative. It requires an understanding that individual behaviour is situated within interpersonal relationships, and larger institutional and societal contexts (Jewkes, 2015).

Although the majority of existing research has been conducted on programs that focus on interventions at the individual and interpersonal levels, increasingly there is a call to look at prevention opportunities at all levels, from individuals to society as a whole (Michau, Horn, Bank, Dutt, & Zimmerman, 2015). Focusing on individual factors by themselves is not enough. Addressing how multiple characteristics such as race, class, and sexual orientation intersect with gender to increase the vulnerability of certain people to VAWG and promoting protective mechanisms are keys to primary prevention.

Using the ecological model proposed by Michau and colleagues (2015) allows that the multiple levels for change, from the personal to the societal, are recognized. Targeted programming, especially for men and boys and for youth who are considered at higher risk for relationship violence, is also an important approach.

Method

This report reviews the extensive literature on VAWG focusing on intimate partner violence and sexual violence. It then examines existing prevention programs in both the United-States and Canada. It classifies these programs based on their intended audiences and discusses initiatives developed and evaluated for specific populations.

Key Findings

The report underscores a growing consensus in the literature that the most effective prevention programs to end violence, and to promote non-violent, equitable, and respectful relationships that deal with the problems before these unfold. These programs are referred to as “primary prevention programs” and are based on reducing risk factors associated with violence and promoting protective factors that enhance women’s and girls’ safety.

Based on preliminary findings, certain primary prevention initiatives adapted from research-based programs show promising results when implemented in different community contexts, including schools and post-secondary institutions, and through public education campaigns. Several programs that have been evaluated in Canada are identified in the report.

Key findings indicate that effective programs share the following characteristics:

• Successful approaches often extend programming to incorporate community resources and partners in prevention efforts.
• Healthy relationship skill building is an important component of many of these programs.
• Bystander intervention programs typically focus on both changing norms related to consent and sexual violence, and on fostering more positive social interactions among youth.
• These programs generally seek to enhance participants’ skills at safely taking action in the face of peer behaviour that supports violence.

Policy and Program Implications

Experts in this field have expressed the need to develop multiple, sustained, and coordinated processes, mechanisms, and interventions to address VAWG. This would involve the participation of sectors including education, health, social services and justice, and would necessitate collaboration between different levels of government. Such an approach offers multiple opportunities as well as challenges for governments at all levels. The report underscores how the governments can foster, support, and coordinate these multi-sectoral approaches.

The report identifies potential priorities, starting with the development of evidence-based approaches that deal with the specific needs of youth from populations who are at higher risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence. Few prevention efforts have been developed for these populations, who may require more intensive programs, may be harder to access, and may be more affected by the impacts of violence.

There are many groups that may be more impacted by violence, including: disabled women and girls; Indigenous women and girls; girls involved with child welfare system: women involved in the criminal justice system; sex workers; lesbian and bisexual women and girls; newcomer and migrant women; trans and gender queer women and girls; and women abused as children. These groups may require more intensive programs and may be harder to access. Programs for these groups should be developed with these populations and with an evaluation framework to determine effectiveness.

Related priorities include research on and engagement with diverse populations. Research needs to go beyond a focus on attitudes and intentions to advance behavioural changes in boys and men.

Future research also needs to respect different realities, such as Indigenous violence prevention efforts that recognize historical oppression and the impact of residential schools. Early work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, Two-Spirit, queer/questioning youth has shown the same need that other youths have for identity-affirming and strengths-based programming. These programs must be encouraged.

There is a need for more intensive evaluation of existing public awareness and education campaigns that aim to influence awareness and change behaviour and a recognition of the numerous challenges and complexities of these campaigns.

Building on this knowledge, a national campaign could be created with consistent messages through public service announcements, other communication tools, and with linkages to local community organizations.