{"id":194,"date":"2019-10-23T14:58:37","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T14:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/depth\/?p=194"},"modified":"2019-10-24T09:18:47","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T09:18:47","slug":"can-sexuality-education-can-help-prevent-partner-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/depth\/2019\/10\/23\/can-sexuality-education-can-help-prevent-partner-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Can sexuality education can help prevent partner violence?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today’s blog is very topical because LSHTM doctoral researcher and DEPTH<\/a> member Shelly Makleff<\/a> has been attending the SVRI Forum\u00a0 2019<\/a> in Cape Town this week to present a co-produced project by LSHTM, IPPF\/WHR and Mexfam that highlights the potential of sexuality education as a strategy for preventing partner violence. DEPTH director Professor Cicely Marston<\/a> is co-PI. Her presentation is entitled \u201cPreventing intimate partner violence among\u00a0 young people – a qualitative\u00a0 study examining the role of comprehensive sexuality education\u201d. Now let’s hear a little more about the project…<\/em><\/p>\n

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We wanted to know if sexuality education can help prevent partner violence. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM<\/a>) partnered with IPPF\/WHR<\/a> in New York and Mexfam<\/a> in Mexico City to try to find out. We have promising results that we\u2019ve begun to publish. Below we share some of our key findings.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mexfam taught a 20-hour course to high school students on a weekly basis for one semester. We evaluated this course through a longitudinal study with nearly 300 students. Using observation, surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we found four main ways in which sexuality education seems to contribute to intimate partner violence prevention and response.<\/p>\n

First, encouraging critical reflection<\/strong>.\u00a0The course provided a space to share experiences and debate beliefs about violence. For example, questioning whether jealousy and possessive behavior were signs of love, or rather, forms of violence. One young woman said:<\/span><\/p>\n

The health educator made it very clear to us that if your partner really loved you, they would accept you as you are. They wouldn\u2019t be telling you \u2018don\u2019t dress that way\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t want you to talk to him.\u2019 That is a type of violence.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Participants also said the course helped them rethink gender norms. One young man told us:<\/p>\n

My classmate said that the man has to work, and the woman should stay in the house. It made me think. I think you need to give freedom to both people in a relationship.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Second, building <\/strong>assertive communication.\u00a0<\/strong>Participants said they became more comfortable talking about relationships and sexuality as the course progressed. They also shared the information from the course with friends and family, intervened in violence around them, and some left possessive relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Third, promoting care-seeking behavior.\u00a0<\/strong>Health educators emphasized the right of young people to receive care, and provided information, support and referrals. Students told us they felt more prepared to seek care if it became necessary. Indeed, the percent of participants who knew where to seek support for violence more than doubled over the semester.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Fourth, ongoing training and support to health educators<\/strong>. This is crucial so they are prepared to address conflict in the group, encourage critical reflection, and create a safe space for discussion.<\/p>\n

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Copyright Mexfam, 2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Based on the three-year project in Mexico, we have recommendations for implementation and policy that can be found in our briefing paper<\/a>. Here are some highlights:<\/p>\n