Youth Intimate relationships: Program for the prevention of violence

Abstract

This paper presents the Portuguese implementation of the The Fourth R – a relationship-based curriculum of universal prevention for dating violence and other associated risk behaviors. This program stood out in the literature for its comprehensive approach, a carefully planned methodology for the impact assessment and the results it has been presenting in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. During the academic year of 2008/2009, a first implementation and assessment of this program was carried out in Portugal. Preliminary results of this pilot implementation pointed out to changes in juvenile attitudes of (in)tolerance towards violence in dating relationships. However, the data on the impact of the intervention on the behavioral level were not so encouraging, suggesting that those results might be limited to boys.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v27i1.248