Effective strategies in violence prevention programs with adolescents
Silvia Facci, Alessio Vieno, Marisa Bergamin, Massimo Santinello
The high request for interventions for reducing prevalence of adolescence violence and aggressive
behavior creates the need to identify and disseminate effective prevention strategies. On the basis
of the analysis of 49 studies concerning intervention programs aimed at preventing violence among
adolescents, the present study identified 18 interventions that the literature deemed to be efficacious
and that met our inclusion criteria in terms of: 1) an adequately described methodology; 2) target;
3) intervention level; 4) evaluation presence. Each intervention program was analyzed using data
concerning prevention level, strategy utilized, dosage envisaged and the presence or otherwise of
specifically trained staff. In this way it was possible to identify the 10 elements that were utilized most
commonly by these programs. These elements could be employed in prevention programs in order to
increase efficacy in terms of the prevention of violent behaviour. The rules addressed, which concern
structure, dosage and levels of prevention as well as the best approaches to take, constitute a guide
to those who wish to chose or to plan a scientifically-based prevention program aimed in reducing
violent behaviour.
Keywords
Prevention, violence, efficacy, adolescence, interventions.
