NCJ Number
182979
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 67 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2000 Pages: 48-49
Date Published
June 2000
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes a program to help teens recognize and prevent domestic violence.
Abstract
The city of Chandler, AZ, police department joined with area schools and a local shelter for victims of domestic violence to create a program called Preventing Abuse and Violence through Education (PAVE). Launched in 1997, the program has taught more than 6,000 7th-, 9th- and 11th-graders how to identify abusive treatment in intimate relationships and react to it in a safe and effective manner. In four weekly sessions of one hour each, PAVE teaches students how to: (1) identify and define emotional, verbal, sexual, and physical abuse; (2) recognize the warning signs of abusive relationships; (3) be aware of issues of power and control; and (4) know the characteristics of a healthy relationship. Parents are invited to meet the instructors and discuss details of the program before classes begin and can take the PAVE course as part of the curriculum of the police department’s Citizen Police Academy. While it is too early to know whether PAVE will significantly reduce the incidence of domestic abuse in Chandler, student response to the program has been positive. A database containing student evaluations is available for review by interested agencies. Note