School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program

Ages: Elementary, Middle School

Contact: John Hale, Associate Director
Center for Civic Education
5146 Douglas Fir Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
Phone: 818/591-9321, Fax: 818/591-9330

The School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program is studying the impact of a civic knowledge curriculum (constitutional and legal principles) on attitudes related to violent behavior among children and youth within a school setting. Developed by the Center for Civic Education, the curriculum is designed to improve students' civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The program provides students with opportunities to engage in high quality civic education and group participation exercises. Trained teacher participants support the curriculum and emphasize critical thinking, cooperative learning, group problem solving, and performance-based assessment.

Program research has shown significant and consistent positive shifts in four areas related to student attitudes in participating school districts: civic responsibility, tolerance for the ideas of others, authority, and the law. Only in its third year of research, the program is in use in 17 States, 41 congressional districts, and 189 schools across the country, including 12 Native American tribes.

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Effective Program, 2002