1. Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Successful Implementation Stories from New Jersey
Presented By:
Dr. Chavonne Lenoir Perotte &
Alaina Renson
Princeton Center for Leadership Training

2. All students should have the skills and resources to develop safe and supportive relationships that provide meaningful connections and personal fulfillment

3. About Us Princeton Center for Leadership Training
30 year history working with schools
Committed to academic achievement of students
PCLT develops and disseminates evidence-based solutions that enable and inspire educators to more fully engage students
Help students develop positive social, emotional, and health behaviors
When students are immersed in safe and supportive environments where they feel connected to their school community through healthy and meaningful relationships with adults and peers, students come to believe that people in their schools value them and want them to succeed. Research on school connectedness establishes that these beliefs among students are important prerequisites to greater academic achievement, lower dropout rates, improved grades, fewer discipline referrals, fewer high-risk behaviors, and reduced incidents of bullying and violence.
Our solutions enable and inspire students to become more engaged learners; develop positive social, emotional, and health behaviors; navigate pivotal transitions; and address the overwhelming stresses of youth. PCLT’s solutions take root within schools and make a lasting, sustainable impact that persists long after our involvement.
In 2008, became a grantee of the RWJF, NJHI to implement Safe Dates into schools across New Jersey. During our time as a grantee, we formed a relationship with Hazelden and became the training distributors for the program

4. Our Partners in this Work
Break the Cycle
New Jersey Health Initiatives
Hazelden
NJPSA/FEA
Break the Cycle – Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe and healthy relationships. We are the leading, national nonprofit organization addressing teen dating violence. We work every day towards our mission to engage, educate and empower youth to build lives and communities free from domestic violence.; creating “Find Your Voice: Ending Violence”; partnered with Hazelden to create the comprehensive model, Respect Works!
Hazelden – Preventing the start of negative behaviors in youth is an important foundation of every healthy family and community. Hazelden is the leading provider of evidence-based prevention curriculum to K-12 educators and other social-services organizations nationwide.; distributor of Safe Dates, Olweus, and Resptect Works!
HiTOPS, Inc – HiTOPS’ mission is to promote adolescent health and well-being; health center and health education; partnered on design of Safe Dates Advanced Trainings; co-collaborator with PCLT
NJHI – New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI) is a statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; supported eight grantees in NJ to implement Safe Dates from ; continued partner in dating violence
NJPSA/FEA -NJPSA is a professional association dedicated to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning in New Jersey; Foundation for Educational Administration, Inc. (FEA) is a community of leaders that promotes sustained professional growth, supports research-based practices, and enhances the spectrum of leadership for the purpose of continuous school improvement.
HiTOPS, Inc.

5. Prevalence One third Risky behaviors 43% 1 in 4 20-29%
Approximately 1/3 adolescent girls in the U.S. is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
Teen victims are more likely to smoke, use drugs, engage in unhealthy diet behaviors, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and attempt or consider suicide.
Forty-three percent of dating violence victims report that the experience occurred on school grounds.
One in four women in the U.S. reports experiencing violence by a current or former partner.
20-29% of all high school students report being psychologically abused in the last year.

6. NJ Law P.L. 2011, Chapter 64 – NJSA 18A: 35-4.23a, 18A:37-33 et. al
Enacted on May 4, 2011
Implementation began on September 1, 2011

7. NJ Law
All school districts must have a policy to prevent, respond, and educate
Requires dating violence education in Health and Physical Education for grades 7-12
Schools must create policies to incorporate the following six components

8. Policy Requirements Dating violence will not be tolerated
Establish dating violence reporting procedures
Establish guidelines for responding to at- school incidents
Establish discipline procedures
Warning signs
Information on available resources

9. NJ Department of Education Model Policy

10. Register at www.featraining.org
Learn More
May 21, 2012, 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Egg Harbor Township
May 23, 2012, 9:00 -3:00 p.m. – Warren County Tech
Register at

11. 8 Best Practices for Effective Dating Violence Prevention

12. Develop a school policy Create a Stakeholder Team
Involve parents and other adult caretakers
Utilize an interactive, comprehensive curriculum
Provide comprehensive training for faculty
Connect students with community resources
Ensure consistency of implementation
Evaluate your program

13. Successful Implementation in NJ:
Application in Best Practices

14. Develop a School Policy
New Jersey Department of Education created a Model Policy for schools to utilize
Informational and capacity building trainings are available for local school districts

15. Work with Safe Dates:
Application in Best Practices

16. Overview of Safe Dates
Safe Dates consists of a 10-session curriculum with a play, poster contest, parent materials, and an evaluation questionnaire
The developer found it is effective at reducing and preventing teen dating violence
Recognized by SAMHSA and the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
Selected by NJHI as focus for 3-year grant cycle
Utilized by many recipients of Start Strong, national initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

17. Develop a Stakeholder Team & Provide Comprehensive Training
Built upon existing relationships with schools
Provided initial implementation training
Designed and facilitated Advanced Trainings utilizing relevant media topics
Provided resources, including Respect Works!, a comprehensive model that includes Safe Dates, Ending Violence, model policy kit, Speak, Act, Change
Provided on-site technical assistance

18. Involve Parents and Other Adults
Some grantees invited community members to the performance of the play
Involve the parents and community in the poster contest
Hang posters around the school and ask for staff feedback

19. Utilize an interactive, comprehensive curriculum
Safe Dates utilizes a variety of strategies to engage students:
Interactive icebreakers and movement
Class and smaller group discussions
Brainstorming
Role plays
Dramatic readings
Comprehensive curriculum includes:
Defining caring relationships and dating abuse
Helping Friends
Gender Stereotypes
Emotions
Communication
Dating Sexual Abuse

20. Connect Students with Community Resources
Invited community organizations to Advanced Topics Training for instructors to learn more and connect
Created a resource list for instructors, including websites and community organizations listed by county

21. Evaluate your program Student Surveys Student Focus Groups
Identification of abusive behaviors
Student Focus Groups
Students remembered key themes
Instructor Focus Groups
Stakeholder Surveys
89% reported seeing changes in their school
Many indicated an intent to sustain the program
Student Surveys
Identification of abusive behaviors
Pre-Survey – 27%
Post Survey – 53%
Student Focus Groups
Students remembered key themes
Instructor Focus Groups
Stakeholder Surveys
89% reported seeing changes in their school
Many indicated an intent to sustain the program

22. Lessons Learned
Comprehensive training is most effect when it incorporates feedback from instructors and involves relevant media events
Having more individuals in a school involved in a program will ensure sustainability
Schools will adapt programs to their community; provide technical assistance to ensure fidelity as well
It is helpful to incorporate feedback from students, staff members, administrators, and community members

23. Resources Princeton Center for Leadership Training
HiTOPS, Inc. -
Break the Cycle -
Hazelden –
NJSPA/FEA –
NJHI –

24. Questions?

25. Your Turn…
What belief or value do you hold that will inspire you to action on this issue within your school community?