Test of an insurance approach to the prevention of violence.

Abstract

The New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) pays compensation to everyone who is disabled temporarily or permanently by accidents. Accidents include intentional violence received from another person and the costs of such “accidents” run into billions of dollars. ACC is seeking to reduce its liability in this area by funding programmes that that prevent violence.

One such programme is Jade Speaks Up a violence prevention programme targeted at 8 to 11 year olds and which over a 6-week period teaches children how to keep themselves safe. This paper describes the programme and the outcomes from the first school in which the programme has been delivered, and shows excerpts from the animated video that is centre-piece of the programme

ACC is funding a trial of this programme which will be delivered to nine intermediate level schools involving 1250 children and over 40 teachers. The evaluation involves both experimental and control groups, pre- and post-tests, a six-month follow-up and a switch of the control group to the experimental condition at the beginning of the subsequent term.

The evaluation includes two standardised tests of child well being (the Center for Epidemiologic Studies’ Depression Scale for Children, Weissman, Orvaschel, & Padian, 1980; and the Child Outcomes Rating Scale, Duncan, Miller & Sparks, 2003). and measures of learning, practice and programme engagement. Teachers as well as students are participants. Preliminary results show that children on the Jade Speaks Up programme make significant gains at post-test in the well being tests compared to pre-test and compared to the control group

The children overwhelmingly felt the programme was interesting, useful and fun. Teachers were also positive about the programme. Still to come is the 6-month follow-up where we will be able to see whether the skills and knowledge taught have been used and the well-being gains sustained.