Citation

Sprinkle JE. Youth Violence Juv. Justice 2008; 6(1): 47-58.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1541204007305525

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a school-based violence prevention/intervention and character education program that uses rescued shelter dogs to teach antiviolence and prosocial messages to elementary and middle school students. This study uses student self-report, disciplinary data, and teacher observational data to measure violent and aggressive behaviors, beliefs about aggression, and levels of empathy in program participants before and after exposure to the program's curriculum.

FINDINGS indicate that receiving the program significantly alters students' normative beliefs about aggression, levels of empathy, and displays of violent and aggressive behaviors.

Keywords: Juvenile justice

Language: en