Examining the effects of dating violence prevention programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Dating violence is a prevalent issue among adolescents and refers to any physical, psychological, or sexual violence perpetrated by a partner in a close relationship (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019a). Prevention programs aim to increase awareness of dating violence and promote healthy relationships. This meta-analysis examines the efficacy of programs targeting adolescents at increasing knowledge about dating violence, changing attitudes towards dating violence behaviours, increasing bystander behaviours, and reducing incidents of adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. A systematic search yielded 37 studies contributing 71 independent effect sizes. Studies were pooled by outcome measure and results suggest that prevention programs have a significant, positive impact on measures of knowledge, attitudes, and violence perpetration, but did not significantly impact experiences of victimization or bystander behaviours. In addition, nine moderators were used to examine the impacts of program, participant, and study characteristics. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.