Research consistently underscores the concerning rates and deleterious consequences of sexual violence (SV) and related forms of violence among youth. Yet, there are few prevention initiatives that lead to reductions in SV. At the same time, there is increasing recognition that youth violence prevention efforts may be most effective if youth are central to the development and implementation of such efforts. Problematically, there are no rigorously evaluated youth-led SV prevention efforts. The proposed project has the potential for high public health impact by establishing a project team inclusive of researchers, practitioners, educators, and peer opinion leaders who seek to implement and conduct a quasi-experimental and process evaluation of one of the largest youth-led violence prevention initiatives: Peer Solutions' STAND & SERVE (S&S). Although in need of rigorous evaluation, because S&S has been in Phoenix for two decades and is well-integrated throughout the city, it would be difficult to measure the impact of this initiative in Phoenix at this point in time. Furthermore, it is important from a scalability, replicability, and dissemination perspective to document the process by which such efforts are created, initially implemented, and sustained. The South Dakota (SD) Department of Health, a Rape Prevention Education-funded agency, has expressed a strong interest in enhancing their efforts by adding a peer-led SV prevention initiative. Thus, researchers at the University of New Hampshire, in partnership with the SD Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, SD Department of Public Health, Peer Solutions, and Rapid City Area Schools seek to implement and evaluate S&S in middle and high schools within Rapid City, SD. Following refinement of the S&S through focus groups, key informant and stakeholder interviews, and input from a Research and Programming Advisory Board (RPAB), we will conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation of S&S with middle and high school youth to determine the effectiveness of S&S in reducing rates of SV perpetration and increasing bystander actions and reducing other problematic behaviors (e.g., bullying, suicidality). Mediators (e.g., increases in positive youth development) and moderators (e.g., school climate) of outcomes will be examined. In addition to collecting survey data from middle and high school youth, we will collect survey data from school staff and parents/guardians and capture social media data to track diffusion of prevention messages. Finally process evaluation data will include observations and fidelity assessments of S&S programming, daily diary data and interview data from program facilitators and other key informants and stakeholders, and a cost-analysis of implementing S&S to inform replication, dissemination, scalability, and sustainability efforts. If S&S is deemed effective, the products (e.g., manuals, toolkits) that results from this project can be readily disseminated to communities across the U.S. who wish to implement and sustain a theoretically-grounded, multi-level, youth-led SV prevention initiative.
Despite research documenting the alarmingly high rates and deleterious consequences of sexual violence (SV), few prevention initiatives to date have demonstrated long-term reductions SV, and within these initiatives none have been youth-led initiatives. The proposed project has the potential for high public health impact by establishing a project team inclusive of researchers, practitioners, educators, and peer opinion leaders who seek to implement and conduct a quasi-experimental and process evaluation of one of the largest youth-led violence prevention initiatives: Peer Solutions' STAND & SERVE (S&S). The present research directly addresses the mission and overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 with a particular focus on IVP-42: Reducing children's exposure to violence. .
