Too Good for Violence was designed to reduce the risk factors and enhance
the protective factors that have been found to mitigate
violent behavior. J. David Hawkins and Richard F. Catalano, Jr.
classified the protective factors as:
- Bonding
- Norms
- Skills
(1) Bonding is the sense of belonging that comes from opportunities to participate within a supportive, caring group. The corresponding risk factor is a sense of isolation. In order to promote bonding, Too Good for Violence utilizes many community-building activities using cooperative learning as a critical teaching strategy. Students are given frequent opportunities to contribute and encouraged to see that by working together, we can make and keep our world a peaceable place.
(2) Norms are standards or models that are regarded as typical. There are many negative norms that promote violence, such as a belief that competition is always desirable, the idea that violence is the inevitable result of conflict, and the impression that heroes are aggressive "macho" types. Many activities in Too Good for Violence are challenge negative norms and promote positive ones.The curiculum includes activities that demonstrate how cooperation is a more effective solution than competition in many conflict situations, particularly in interpersonal conflicts. Other lessons show that while conflict is inevitable, violence is not. There are also activities that encourage students to redefine what it means to be a man, a woman, and a hero.
(3) Skills are the third protective factor necessary for an effective prevention program. Even if students are bonded to positive, non-violent role models, even if they have positive norms regarding the desirability of cooperative, non-violent conflict resolution, they may still become involved in violence—as victims or perpetrators—if they don't know how to resolve conflicts peacefully. Because non-violent living requires a variety of vital life skills, we teach not only conflict resolution, but also anger management and communication skills, as well as skills for giving and getting respect. These skills are complex and require much reinforcement. The program begins with simple, developmentally-appropriate skills and build from grade level to grade level. This sequential skill-building design simplifies implementation by providing grade-specific lessons that ensure students receive a thorough and comprehensive violence prevention program.
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Additional Research Resources:
TGFV
Evaluation Summary
The
C.A.R.E. Components
Principles
of Effectiveness
Character
Education
Bibliography
Logic
Model |
