Preventing violence early: Evidence from school-based programmes in low and middle-income countries

Schools are in a unique position to address and prevent gender-based violence (GBV) in the Southern African region, as they are globally. Most children and adolescents spend significant amounts of their time
in schools, where social and gender norms are formed and reinforced. These early influences can shape the behaviour and attitudes of young people, extending into adulthood. Despite high levels of GBV and widespread implementation of school-based prevention programming in the Southern African region, there is no single, consolidated evidence synthesis of research on school-based interventions, and therefore little understanding of how effective these interventions are.

This research brief, developed by a research team from the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University, summarises the results of a systematic review and evidence gap map on school-based GBV prevention programmes in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This will strengthen evidence-based policymaking around school-based prevention of GBV in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other LMICs. 

Read more