Although often overlooked in discussions about health, the World Health Organization declared physical and emotional dating violence a global public health concern as early as 2002. Dating violence has been associated with adverse health outcomes such as depressive symptoms, substance abuse, physical injuries, and the perpetuation of aggressive behaviours. The ramifications of dating violence on adolescents additionally encompass hindered personal development, heightened risk of teenage pregnancy, and later risky sexual behaviour. According to the National Survey on Dating Violence in Mexico, approximately three quarters of adolescents encountered psychological violence in 2007, while 15% endured physical violence in their relationships. The survey also revealed that 16.5% of female adolescents in Mexico experienced sexual assault. The survey emphasised the prevalence of violence within adolescent relationships, affecting both genders. Violence was disproportionately prevalent among poorer youth. In order to prevent dating violence, the Colegio de Bachilleres, a public high school system in Mexico, collaborated with the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), the National Institute of Public Health, and the non-profit organisation ALBANTA to create a pilot programme. This collaboration resulted in a programme titled “Amor... pero del bueno” (True Love) in 2014.
True Love – Mexico
Abstract
True Love was piloted in two urban, low-income high schools in Mexico City. The intervention spanned 16 weeks and covered topics on gender roles, dating violence, sexual rights, and strategies for coping with dating violence. The programme included both school-level and individual-level components. The school-level component aimed to create a supportive environment through schoolyard activities and a workshop for staff. All students attending the school were exposed to information on preventing dating violence through the school-level intervention. The individual-level component of True Love consisted of a classroom-based curriculum, in addition to the schoolyard activities. The classroom curriculum encouraged critical thinking about gender norms, dating violence, and effective communication skills, using a behavioural theoretical framework that drew from theories on intimate partner violence. The schoolyard activities empowered students to apply what they learned in class as agents of change within their school.
The True Love pilot programme engaged 1 604 students, with 744 participating in the individual-level curriculum and 860 experiencing the school-level component. Short-term impact assessment revealed a notable 58% reduction in the prevalence of perpetrated psychological violence and a 55% reduction in experienced psychological violence among males who engaged in the classroom curriculum compared to those exposed only to the school component. Additionally, both male and female participants exhibited significant but relatively small reductions in beliefs and attitudes justifying sexism and violence in dating relationships. Successfully implementing a programme like True Love necessitates making sure that students are exposed to all facets of the programme, by for instance ensuring compulsory curriculum attendance. It is also important to address high school dropout rates, and involve the community outside of the school to increase the impact of the intervention.
This practice also supports the implementation of provision II.1 of the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People (OECD, 2022[1]).
Further reading
[3] Krug, E. et al. (2002), “The world report on violence and health”, The Lancet, Vol. 360/9339, pp. 1083-1088, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11133-0.
[2] Ludin, S. et al. (2017), “A Cross-National Comparison of Risk Factors for Teen Dating Violence in Mexico and the United States”, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 47/3, pp. 547-559, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0701-9.
[1] OECD (2022), Recommendation of the Council on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0474.
[4] Sosa-Rubi, S. et al. (2016), “True Love: Effectiveness of a School-Based Program to Reduce Dating Violence Among Adolescents in Mexico City”, Prevention Science, Vol. 18/7, pp. 804-817, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-016-0718-4.
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