This paper proposes a structured mentorship program as an intervention to reduce teen dating violence and build resilience in youth. Beginning with an overview of the documented causes of teen dating violence — including exposure to community and family violence — the paper outlines a multi-phase mentorship model that engages both parents and children through training, consultation, orientation, in-home sessions, and follow-up. The paper argues that such a program builds self-respect, anger management, and conflict mediation skills in teens while simultaneously supporting parents. It also considers motivational strategies to encourage participation and draws on published scholarship to validate the mentorship approach as an effective tool for violence prevention within families and communities.
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Teen dating violence has reached epidemic proportions and has become a topic of significant debate in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to identify a single intervention — one that works within the family — that would help build a child's resilience and ability to control his or her temper. The discussion describes the proposed intervention, explains how and why it might be beneficial, and considers what might motivate people to participate fully. The paper also explains why this intervention is likely to be effective and documents publications that advocate the chosen approach. We begin by examining the causes of teen dating violence.
The epidemic of teen dating violence is believed to have many different causes. Chief among these is an assailant's prior exposure to violence — specifically, teenagers are more likely to become perpetrators if they have been exposed to violence in their families or in their communities. According to an article published in the journal Social Work Research:
"Malik et al. (1997) found that exposure to violence — community and family — were the strongest predictors of involvement in dating violence. They concluded that demographic variation in dating violence is largely the result of a corresponding difference in exposure to multiple forms of violence. Williams et al. (1998) found that exposure to violence, deteriorated neighborhoods, negative peer environment, and traumatic experiences predicted 29% of the variance in African-American youths' involvement in violent behavior." (Black and Weisz, 2001)
The causes of teen dating violence are well documented. Violence appears to be a learned behavior, one that can potentially be prevented if youth are presented with an appropriate intervention program.
The single intervention proposed here is one of mentorship. Not only would the mentor support the child, but he or she would also work with the parents. The purpose of this intervention is to demonstrate to both youth and parents that they have the ability to make better choices.
The implementation of this program would take place over several phases: training, consultation, orientation, in-home sessions, program closing, and follow-up.
During the training phase, mentors are taught how to relate effectively to both parents and children. Training sessions will feature a child psychologist who will give mentors a greater understanding of the thought processes a child may be experiencing. A psychologist will also be available to answer questions concerning the mindset of the parents.
The second phase is consultation. The purpose of this phase is to evaluate the needs of the entire family and to match the family with the mentor best suited to meet those needs. Consultation is one of the most important factors in ensuring the success of the intervention.
The third phase is orientation. During this phase, the mentor and mentees are introduced to one another and ground rules governing the relationship of all parties are discussed. Orientation helps both parents and children develop a clearer understanding of the program's purpose.
In-home sessions make up the fourth phase. Conducting the program in the home allows parents and children to learn better communication skills so that they can articulate their feelings more effectively. The home setting also allows the mentor to observe the family's dynamics, enabling him or her to provide more targeted support. In-home sessions additionally create a warm, comfortable atmosphere that encourages openness.
During this phase, families are taught mediation strategies and anger management techniques. Special attention is paid to gender differences and the importance of mutual respect in relationships. Because female teenagers are statistically more likely to be victims of abuse, they will be taught how to recognize the warning signs of a potentially abusive partner. Male teenagers, on the other hand, will be taught about the consequences of violent behavior and the impact it has on victims. Parents are also taught to recognize the signs of abuse in their children's relationships. Parents who have their own history of abusive relationships will receive guidance on addressing their own experiences so that they can better support their children.
The fifth phase is the program closing, a three-week period during which mentors review and reinforce the material covered throughout the intervention. Participants are also given the opportunity to ask questions about any aspects of the program that were unclear.
Finally, the follow-up phase allows mentors to assess whether the program's lessons are taking hold. Mentors will provide parents and children with journals to track their progress and record their thoughts. Follow-up is essential because it enables mentors to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program and identify areas for improvement.
"Community and family benefits of mentorship"
"Incentives to encourage program enrollment"
"Scholarly validation of mentorship interventions"
The purpose of this paper was to identify a single family-based intervention that would help build a child's resilience and ability to manage his or her temper. A structured mentorship program was identified as an excellent intervention for addressing teen dating violence. Such a program would benefit the community by decreasing teen dating violence and, more broadly, violence in schools and neighborhoods. The paper also documented published scholarship that advocates for the mentorship approach, confirming that mentorship programs are highly regarded and can be extremely effective when implemented thoughtfully.
Black, B. M., & Weisz, A. N. (2001). Evaluating a sexual assault and dating violence prevention program for urban youths. Social Work Research, 25(2), 89.
Osofsky, J. D. (Ed.). (1997). Children in a violent society. New York: Guilford Publications.
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