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. 2007 Sep;8(3):171-9.
doi: 10.1007/s11121-007-0067-4. Epub 2007 Jun 9.

Mediators of the development and prevention of violent behavior

Robert J Jagers  1 , Antonio A Morgan-Lopez, Terry-Lee Howard, Dorothy C Browne, Brian R Flay; Aban Aya Coinvestigators
Affiliations

Mediators of the development and prevention of violent behavior

Robert J Jagers et al. Prev Sci. 2007 Sep.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the Aban Aya Youth Project, a culturally grounded intervention, produced differences in changes over time in core intervening variables (i.e., communal value orientation, empathy, violence avoidance efficacy beliefs) and whether these variables mediated intervention effects on the development of youth violent behavior. Fifth grade cohorts at 12 schools were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions or an attention placebo control condition and followed longitudinally through eighth grade. A total of 668 students (49% male) participated in the study. Mediation analyses suggested that both program conditions (as compared to the control condition) led to steeper increases over time in empathy which, in turn were related to reductions in the likelihood of violent behavior over time. No other significant program effects were detected, although changes over time in violence avoidance efficacy were associated with reduced likelihood of violent behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of theory development, program development and points of refinement of the Aban Aya Youth Project and implications for future research.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Aban Aya longitudinal mediation path diagram. SDC Classroom social development intervention, SC school/family/community intervention, CV communal values, EMP empathy, VASE violence avoidance self-efficacy, VIO violent behavior, α initial status (estimated baseline level), β=linear slope (estimated change over time per 1-year period). Only paths that were significantly different from 0 are shown with the direction of the effect (i.e., positive or negative). Effects of child gender on mediators and violent behavior were estimated but are not shown
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