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Abstract

Adolescents from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are more likely to be accepting of intimate partner violence, in addition to being at increased risk of experiencing or perpetrating intimate partner violence. There is however a paucity of research evaluating the efficacy of programs designed to address acceptance of intimate partner violence. This study evaluated whether Peace Road for Children, a World Vision school based intervention, was more effective in reducing acceptance of wife beating than broader Child Protection activities alone, among 240 male and female adolescents aged 10-16 years of age in Armenia. Fisher�s z tests for two population proportions revealed that Peace Road for Children significantly reduced the number of children who became accepting of wife beating in comparison to the control group, however Peace Road for Children did not lead to a more significant reduction in acceptance of wife beating in children who indicated wife beating was acceptable at baseline. The findings highlight key considerations for violence prevention research, including the importance of early prevention in attitudes towards intimate partner violence.

Biography

Bethany Devenish is a PhD student whose research work is evaluating a world vison intervention aimed at reducing the effects of poverty-related risk factors on children and adolescents. Her project, which is being undertaken in Armenia, has focused on the impact of the intervention on the psychosocial functioning of adolescents who are at increased risk due to their poverty. One of the factors targeted by the intervention is acceptance of interpersonal violence. The findings provide directions for future preventative efforts in this area.