BREAKING

THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

Breaking the Cycle:

Preventing Intimate Partner and Dating Violence Before it Begins

Tara R. DeMaderios

Oregon State University

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

Table of Contents
Abstract.....2
1. Health Problem: Intimate Partner Violence..............3
1.1. Scope of the Problem......3
1.2. Intimate Partner Violence in the United States...........3
Figure 1. Age at occurrence of first IPV experience among males and females......4
1.3. Identifying a Target Audience.4
1.4. Relevant Risk Factors..5
1.5. Health Risks......5
1.6. Call to Action.....6
2. Needs Assessment..6
2.1. Needs of the Target Population6
2.2. Collecting Secondary Data7
2.3. Collecting Primary Data.7
2.4. Integrating the Data.......8
3. Evidence Based Intervention Description........9
3.1. Shifting Boundaries: An Evidence Based Intervention.9
3.2. Core Components..9
3.3. An Ideal Prevention Program for Portland Public Schools....10
4. Adaptations.....10
4.1. Why It Is Necessary to Adapt: Reaching the Highest Risk Population.......10
4.2. Critical Adaptations......11
5. Mission, Goals, and Objectives.........12
5.1. Mission Statement...........12
5.2. Goals......12
5.3. Process Objectives......12
5.4. Impact Objectives.13
5.5. Outcome Objective...14
6. Implementation...14
6.1. Overview....14
6.2. Details of Implementation.......14
Figure 2.0 Implementation Timeline Year One.15
Figure 2.1 Implementation Timeline Year Two....16
7. Evaluation........16
7.1. Evaluation Design.16
7.2. Process Evaluation..........17
7.3. Impact Evaluation.18
7.4. Outcome Evaluation.18
8. Shifting Boundaries Program Budget......19
8.1. Budget....19
8.2. Budget Justification......19
References..23
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 2

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious and preventable public health problem. It is estimated that 1 in 3

women and 1 in 7 men are victims of IPV at some point in their lifetime. IPV has serious physical and mental

health consequences including increased risks for STIs and HIV, unintended pregnancies, suicide, depression,

anxiety, PTSD, and homicide. The costs for these consequences along with lost productivity are over $8.3

billion. Anyone can be a victim of IPV, but females are more likely than males to experience it, as are those

under the age of 25. The purpose of this report is to identify teens as an ideal target population for the primary

prevention of IPV, and propose an intervention program to be implemented in schools with a goal of reducing

the prevalence of IPV. Shifting Boundaries is a school-based primary intervention program designed to target

adolescents with preventions at multiple levels. It utilizes environmental and policy changes within schools, and

classroom lessons aimed at altering the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of adolescents. A pretest-posttest

evaluation design using students as their own control is used to measure changes in student beliefs, attitudes,

knowledge, and behaviors. Students complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the

intervention, and at 6 months post intervention.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 3

1. Health Problem: Intimate Partner Violence

1.1 Scope of the Problem

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious and preventable public health problem that affects every

facet of society. IPV encompasses multiple forms of violence, including sexual violence, physical violence,

stalking, psychological aggression including verbal and emotional abuse, and control of reproductive health

(CDC, n.d.). An intimate partner does not have to be a spouse he or she can be a current or former romantic

partner or a first date (CDC, 2015d). IPV is not selective, and can happen to anyone male or female, gay or

straight, adult or child and at all socio-economic status levels. Although IPV can and does happen to men,

women and girls are more likely to experience this type of violence (WHO, 2016). Recent global prevalence

data of IPV have shown that worldwide, 1 out of every 3 women report being victims of IPV (WHO, 2016). It is

therefore reasonable to assert that every person alive is either personally affected by, or knows someone who

is personally affected by, sexual assault or intimate partner violence. Even if it could be argued that an

individual male does not know a woman who has been a victim of IPV, the effect on societies as a whole and

the cultural repercussions cannot be ignored.

1.2 Intimate Partner Violence in the United States

In the United States, the prevalence data on Intimate Partner Violence are staggering. An average of

24 persons are experiencing IPV in the United States per minute (CDC, 2014a). Up to half of women in the

United States have experienced sexual violence victimization other than rape in their lifetime (CDC, 2014c).

Nearly half of female victims of completed rape reported that their first rape occurred before the age of 18, and

a third of women who are raped as minors are raped again as adults (CDC, 2014b). Over a quarter of male

victims of completed rape reported that their first rape occurred at or before the age of 10 (CDC, 2014b). The

age group that is at highest risk of being victimized by IPV are young adults between the ages of 18-24, and

estimates are that 71.1% of women and 58.2% of men experience their first incident of IPV before the age of

25 (CDC, 2014d). These data demonstrate that early sexual victimization is common and is a risk factor for

additional sexual victimization.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 4

FIGURE 1. Age at occurrence of first IPV experience among males and females who experienced rape,
physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
Survey, United States, 2010 (CDC, 2014a)

1.3 Identifying a Target Population

Teens young age and relative inexperience puts them at high-risk for becoming victims and

perpetrators of intimate partner or dating violence. They are experiencing their first romantic relationships, and

developing their framework for what is normal in relationships (Furman & Brown, 2011; Moretti & Peled, 2004).

Teens often believe that violence in relationships is acceptable because of what they witness at home and

from their peers, and due to the cultural messages they receive from the media (CDC, 2015e), which often

romanticizes the very behaviors that lead to dating and Intimate Partner Violence. Adolescents who experience

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) are more likely to experience other severe consequences, such as depression

and anxiety, antisocial behavior, increased involvement with drugs and alcohol, and suicide ideation (Exner-

Cortens, Eckenrode & Rothman, 2013; CDC, 2015e). Preventing dating violence and harassment in teens, and

teaching them about healthy behaviors in relationships, can prevent them from entering into abusive

relationships as adults, and help them to avoid negative health problems that can result from such abuse.

Teens are therefore a prime target population for the primary prevention of Intimate Partner Violence.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 5

1.4 Relevant Risk Factors

The most relevant risk factors among teens for becoming either a victim or perpetrator of Intimate

Partner Violence are being low income; emotional instability including low self-esteem, insecurity, isolation, or

depression; witnessing family violence; belief in restrictive gender roles; cultural norms accepting of violence;

aggressive, controlling, or delinquent behavior; and simply being young (WHO, 2016; CDC, 2015a; CDC,

2015e). Risk factors for becoming a victim or a perpetrator of teen dating violence tend to be clustered in poor

urban communities, which should be a primary target for prevention efforts (CDC, 2015b). Given that the

majority of teens attend public schools, a public school-based prevention program has the potential to reach a

large majority of the teen population.

1.5 Health Risks

Intimate Partner Violence negatively affects the health and wellbeing of the victims, including their

physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health, and puts them at a higher risk for contracting HIV (WHO,

2016). Teen girls are at higher risk of becoming pregnant, engaging in risky sexual behaviors, abusing

substances, developing eating disorders, and becoming suicidal as a result of being victims of dating violence

(Silverman et. al, 2001). Intimate Partner Violence also carries a high risk of death by homicide (WHO, 2016).

Most notably, the number one cause of death for pregnant women in the United State is IPV-related homicide

(Chang et al., 2005). In Oregon fatality risks related to IPV are distressingly high, with 1 in 4 homicides being

IPV-related, and 15% of those victims being under the age of 25 (OHA, 2014). In Multnomah County alone,

between the years 2003-2012, there were 50 IPV-related homicides (X. Shen, personal communication,

February 16, 2016). The cost to the United States populace for medical and mental health expenses and lost

productivity is estimated to be over $8 billion per year. That figure does not include the costs of the criminal

justice system or the costs of providing services to victims, who have a higher rate of utilization of public

assistance (CDC, 2015c).

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 6

1.6 Call to Action

The feminist movement and the anti-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault movement have done much

to bring Intimate Partner Violence to the attention of the public, and great strides have been made to change

the level of awareness surrounding these issues and the laws and policies that govern how they are dealt with.

However, there is still much to be done, and the work to change the culture of sexual assault and Intimate

Partner Violence and the conditions that breed them must continue. It is imperative that the rates of IPV go

down because these forms of violence affect a sizeable percentage of the population. Meaningful prevention

needs to occur, and implementing prevention programs to reduce dating violence among teens is in line with

federal health policy and with Oregon state law. One of the objectives for adolescent health in the Healthy

People 2020 initiative is to Reduce the rate of adolescent and young adult victimization from crimes of

violence (AH-11.4). As of 2012 the Oregon legislature passed HB 4077 which requires school boards to adopt

teen dating violence education programs or adapt existing education programs to include teen dating violence

prevention (Oregon State Legislature).

A teen dating violence prevention program plan will address the need for primary prevention of

domestic violence to prevent teens from becoming either victims or perpetrators of domestic violence in the

first place. Implementing a dating violence primary prevention program into the health education of teens in

Multnomah County will lead to reduced prevalence of domestic violence in Multnomah County and a

subsequent reduction of adverse health outcomes resulting from domestic violence. Reducing the prevalence

of domestic violence will also reduce the cost burden on government and citizens related to adverse health

outcomes, and public assistance and judicial system needs.

2. Needs Assessment

2.1 Needs of the Target Population

In Multnomah County IPV-related homicides are on the rise and accounted for an increase in overall

homicide rates beginning in 2009, a troubling trend that suggests IPV may be increasing instead of decreasing

(OHA, 2014). Not only does IPV cause harm to victims, it also causes harm to perpetrators. Almost 40% of

IPV-related homicide perpetrators attempted to commit or were successful in committing suicide following the
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 7

homicide incident (OHA, 2014). The 2015 Oregon Healthy Teens Survey results for Multnomah County

revealed that by the 11th grade 5% of respondents reported they had been forcibly raped, 10% had been

sexually assaulted, 4% had been physically assaulted by an intimate partner within the last year, and 30% had

been harassed at or on the way to school. These data demonstrate that teens in Multnomah County are

experiencing teen dating violence, and that there is a pressing need for dating violence prevention education.

2.2 Collecting Secondary Data

The Oregon Healthy Teens Survey provides valuable secondary data about teen dating violence

prevalence and trends in Multnomah County and across the state. However, it is only one source of data. In

order to determine which areas of Portland, if any, or which schools experience higher rates of teen dating

violence and harassment, more data needs to be collected. A first step is to contact Portland Public Schools

and find out if the district has information on individual schools that have higher rates of dating violence or

harassment, or which schools have the highest rates of teens with large clusters of risk factors. These schools

would be the focus of initial efforts and be among the first to implement the prevention program as their student

populations should demonstrate clear improvements post intervention. It is also necessary to determine what

dating violence education and prevention programs are in use in schools or have been implemented in the past

and with what success. Additionally, contacting NGOs and agencies that provide services to youth in the

Portland area, such as Outside In, might produce valuable prevalence and demographic data.

2.3 Collecting Primary Data

Once secondary data is obtained the needs for primary data can be ascertained. The first step in

collecting primary data would entail going to classrooms and observing lessons being taught to youth that

already include dating violence prevention. First hand observations provide information on what is being taught

and how students are receiving it. It would also be important to meet with district administrators, principals, and

teachers to gain insight from them about how previous programs have been received in the community, what

funding they have available for dating violence and harassment prevention programs, and how much time is

available in their classrooms for dating violence prevention curriculum. Collecting primary data of this nature is
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 8

somewhat time consuming but relatively inexpensive, as one Multnomah County staff person could complete

the observations and meet with school district staff.

The next step in collecting primary data would be to conduct surveys of parents, students, and

teachers. Parents would be asked if they discuss dating violence or harassment with their children, if they are

aware of any dating violence prevention education their children have received, and if they are aware of any

such education how effective they perceived it to be. Students would be asked if they are aware of what dating

violence of harassment is, if they have discussed it with their parents or peers, if they have received any dating

violence prevention education in school, how effective they perceived it to be, and what they would like to see

taught or discussed in the future. Teachers would be asked if they think the existing program is effective and

comprehensive, if there are any issues with the current curriculum including classroom time constraints, and

would be asked to comment on what changes they would like to see. Conducting the surveys would be

expensive because it would require the use of a survey company and data analysis.

2.4 Integrating the Data

The primary data gathered from observing what is being taught and the survey responses could be

integrated with the secondary data provided by the school district on what prevention programs are already in

place to form a more complete picture of what students are learning. The surveys would also provide needed

insight into the communitys values and norms, and inform the direction in which the community would like to

proceed. In order to gain further insight into community values and capacity, focus groups could be conducted

for the students and teachers, respectively, and buy-in could be gained from parents by speaking to their

organizations such as PTOs or PTAs. Conducting focus groups could be expensive, as a professional

experienced in leading focus group discussions would need to be hired.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 9

3. Evidence Based Intervention Description

3.1 Shifting Boundaries: An Evidence Based Intervention

The Shifting Boundaries EBI is an intervention developed to increase schools capacity to prevent

domestic violence and harassment, and to target a young audience with preventions at multiple levels in order

to reduce teen dating violence and sexual harassment. It is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action and was

designed to increase awareness of teen dating violence and harassment, change attitudes and norms

surrounding violence and harassment, encourage and increase bystander intervention, increase schools

capacities to monitor and prevent violence and harassment in schools, and reduce the prevalence of teen

dating violence and harassment. The original study was implemented in an urban setting, in New York City,

and was a randomized control trial (RCT) which utilized four groups classroom-based intervention only,

school building-based intervention only, combination, and no intervention (control) It was developed for 6th and

7th graders (Taylor, Mumford & Stein 2014).

Evaluation of the original RCT determined that use of both the classroom-based and school building-

based interventions in combination was most effective. Therefore there are two core components to the

intervention a classroom intervention and a school building intervention. Key features of the classroom-based

intervention are classroom worksheets, and a video used as a teaching tool and a way to start discussions

about dating violence and harassment. Key features of the school building-based intervention are the use of

hot spot mapping of unsafe areas in schools, placement of staff in hot areas, posters to hang in the

hallways to increase identification and awareness of harassment, and school-based temporary restraining

orders (Taylor, Mumford & Stein 2014).

3.2 Core Components

The classroom-based curriculum is made up of six lessons that can be taught over a period of 6-10

weeks. The lessons include understanding gender roles, how to set boundaries, what healthy relationships are,

bystander intervention, consequences for being a perpetrator of violence or harassment, and what the laws are

regarding dating violence and harassment. Trauma-informed instructors trained in prevention and intervention

should be brought in to teach the lessons (NIJ, 2015; Taylor, Mumford & Stein 2014).
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 10

The school building-based intervention was designed to create a safer environment in the school

building by changing how administrators and staff respond to incidents of dating violence or sexual

harassment, via implementing school-based temporary restraining orders between students, placement of

teachers in areas identified as unsafe by students via hot spot mapping, and placement of posters throughout

the school that promote a prosocial environment leading to increased understanding of what constitutes

harassment and subsequent increased reporting to staff of domestic violence and harassment. Students create

the hot spot maps during the classroom lessons. The school building-based intervention lasts for the same 6-

10 week period of time as the classroom curriculum (Taylor, Mumford & Stein 2014).

3.3 An Ideal Prevention Program for Portland Public Schools

The Shifting Boundaries EBI was designed specifically to address teen dating violence and prevention,

and uses a multivariate approach which implements more than one strategy for prevention. The fact that

Shifting Boundaries uses multiple approaches, was designed to be used in schools, and was created to reduce

the prevalence of teen dating violence and harassment, makes it an ideal program to be used in Portland

Public Schools (PPS) to meet the federally mandated requirements for teen dating violence prevention

education.

4. Adaptations

4.1 Why It Is Necessary to Adapt: Reaching the Highest Risk Population

The original Shifting Boundaries EBI was created for middle schools. While it is necessary to address

dating violence and harassment education and prevention in middle schools, it is also necessary to keep

educating students into high school. While middle school aged adolescents may be interested in dating or

romantic relationships, they have limited experience with romantic relationships. By the age of 13 only 36% of

adolescents have had any kind of romantic relationship, but that number jumps to 53% by the age of 15 and

70% by the age of 17 (Collins, Welsh & Furman, 2009). Due to the fact that more high schoolers have

experiences with romantic relationships than do middle schoolers, and that high school teens are closer to

entering the age range (18-24) that is at highest risk of becoming victims of Intimate Partner Violence, high
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 11

school teens are an ideal population to engage in discussions about dating violence and harassment. For this

reason it would be beneficial to adapt Shifting Boundaries to be implemented in high schools.

4.2 Critical Adaptations

A critical adaptation that needs to be made to the Shifting Boundaries program is to hire trauma-

informed Prevention and Intervention Instructors to facilitate the classroom lessons. The original program was

designed to use existing teachers to teach the classroom lessons, with limited training and no trauma informed

training. It was suggested that if students are triggered by the discussion of sensitive and traumatic topics they

be sent to the school counselor to discuss their reaction. There are two problems with this approach. First,

many schools rotate counselors and they may not be available at all times. Another related staffing issue could

arise if multiple students have emotional reactions to the curriculum materials and there are not enough

counselors to talk to each one of them at the time of their reaction. The second problem is that because the

topics discussed in the Shifting Boundaries classroom curriculum deal with sensitive subjects, it is imperative

that a trauma-informed and trained instructor deliver the lesson. The instructor needs to be aware of how best

to approach and discuss topics, and what language and attitudes they are expressing to the students. There is

no guarantee that teachers who are not specifically trained in trauma-informed response will conduct the

classroom lessons appropriately, and such training is a long process outside of the scope of what this program

is capable of doing. Therefore, trauma-informed Prevention and Intervention Instructors need to be hired.

Classroom teachers will undergo a 2-day sensitivity training and program orientation before the classroom

lessons are taught in their class.

Another aspect of Shifting Boundaries that should change is to increase the dosage of the school

building interventions, including leaving the school-based restraining orders in place until the students who

requested them felt they were not needed any longer, and continuation of hot spot mapping throughout the

duration of the school year to ensure that students feel safe at all times, as opposed to the shorter 6-10 weeks

as called for in the original EBI.

A final adaptation would need to occur when and if the video used for Shifting Boundaries is not

culturally appropriate or age appropriate for high schoolers in Multnomah County, or is outdated. High
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 12

schoolers in the focus groups could view the video to see if they felt it was appropriate and relevant to them. A

novel and cost effective way to update the video would be to have high school students create their own videos

implementing all of the key components and lessons in the video.

5. Mission, Goals, and Objectives

5.1 Mission Statement

The mission of implementing Shifting Boundaries in Portland Public Schools is to increase the efficacy

of domestic violence and harassment interventions in the high school setting, and in so doing to create safer

spaces for all students, and to reduce the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in all of Multnomah County.

5.2 Goals

Increase the capacity of schools to prevent domestic violence and harassment

Reduce sexual harassment and domestic violence in schools and in the county

Target high risk group teens with primary prevention at multiple levels

5.3 Process Objectives

Hire and train trauma-informed Prevention and Intervention Instructors

Train classroom teachers

Adapt existing education program to include teen dating violence and harassment prevention and track

efficacy by getting feedback from program staff, school staff, and students

Inform parents of the goals of the study and accompanying risks and benefits and that they can choose

to waive their parental consent for their child to participate in the surveys

Inform students of their rights, risks, and benefits of participating in the surveys

Self-reporting via questionnaires to track prevalence of DV/H in the students at baseline, immediately

after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention

Maintain student confidentiality with regard to data on self-report questionnaires

Collect data on school-based temporary restraining orders (TROs)

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 13

Determine how students respond to the intervention

Determine if program materials are being utilized (hallway posters)

Have a way for students to report questions and concerns anonymously

5.4 Impact Objectives

Learning Objectives: Immediately upon completion of the classroom curriculum, the majority of students

will:

o Understand what boundaries are and how to enforce their own boundaries

o Understand the definitions of harassment and dating/partner violence, what actions constitute

harassment and dating violence, and laws related to harassment and dating violence

o Understand the consequences of dating violence and harassment, including short-term

consequences at school and long-term health and financial consequences

o Consider their interpersonal interactions & how they use physical spaces within the school walls

o Understand the importance of bystanders as interveners and be more likely to intervene as

bystanders

o Feel comfortable going to school staff and reporting any harassment and violence they witness.

o Feel safer in their school hallways

o Increased awareness of domestic violence and harassment

Behavioral Objectives: As a result of participating in the Shifting Boundaries program, 6 months after

participating, the majority of students will have:

o Increased reporting of domestic violence and harassment to staff

o Increased incidence of intervening as bystanders

o Decreased perpetration of violence and harassment

o Increased healthy boundaries and healthy relationships long term

Environmental Objectives: During the program implementation process

o Schools will create and update hot spot maps to track unsafe areas of schools
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 14

o School administrators will modify staffing in identified hot spots to increase the chance of

catching perpetrators or deterring violence in these areas

o Students will create school-based temporary restraining orders & school staff will enforce them

o Posters to increase awareness and reporting of violence and harassment to school personnel

will be placed in highly visible places in school hallways

5.5 Outcome Objective

The outcome of implementing the Shifting Boundaries program in Portland Public Schools should be a

reduction in prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Multnomah County by 5% five years post intervention,

followed by 5% reductions in prevalence every year. This reduction in prevalence will result in reduced costs to

judicial systems, law enforcement, social service programs, and healthcare. There should also be evidence of

reduced rates of IPV-related homicide.

6. Implementation

6.1 Implementation Overview

Implementation of the program will consist of both pilot testing and a phased-in approach. Pilot testing

will occur within one school so that the program can be adjusted to the needs of Portland Public Schools, the

students, and the staff. This will be followed by a phased-in rollout of the program moving from school to

school. It is necessary to phase-in the program one school at a time because the program requires specially

trained instructors to facilitate the classroom-based lessons. In order to make the program cost effective the

trained instructors must move from one school to another until all schools have received the classroom-based

curriculum.

6.2 Details of Implementation

The Prevention and Intervention Instructors will be hired within 1 month of procuring funding for the

program. The Prevention and Intervention Instructors will train themselves on the classroom curriculum the first

week of their hire. The teachers whose school is participating in the pilot program will receive the 2-day
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 15

sensitivity and program orientation training prior implementation. Students will receive their pretest surveys

prior to their first classroom lesson. Pilot testing will begin a week after teacher training and will take 6-8 weeks

depending on how long the classroom lessons take, and no-school days. Students will receive their posttest

surveys on the last day of classroom lessons. After pilot testing, one month will be alocated to adjust the

program based on feedback from Prevention and Intervention Instructors, classroom teachers, school

administrators and staff, and students. After adjustments to the program have been made the remaining

teachers in the school district whose schools will be participating in the program will receive the 2-day

sensitivity and program orientation at once to reduce the time burden on the Prevention and Intervention

Instructors who have to conduct the training. One week after the remaining teachers are trained, the phased-in

rolling implementation will continue for one academic year focusing on schools with large numbers of teens

who have clusters of risk factors. After one academic school year the program will be evaluated, including

looking at student self-reported behaviors, to assess if the program is successful and reports will be written to

clarify the results. If the program is deemed successful it will be continued in future years, as long as there is a

demonstrated need and funding is available.

Figure 2.0 Implementation Timeline

Implementation Timeline Months

Tasks - Year One J J A S O N D J F M A M
Procure funding X
Purchase necessary materials X
Hire staff X
Instructor self-training & orientation to
X
program
Teacher training for teachers
X
participating in pilot testing
Pilot testing X X
Pretest surveys for students conducted X
Conduct weekly meetings with
instructors, teachers, and school X X
administrators
Posttest surveys for students conducted X
Adjust program based on feedback from
pilot testing X
Teacher training for teachers in the
school district X
Begin phased-in rolling implementation
to multiple schools X X X X X X X
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Figure 2.1 Implementation Timeline Year Two

Tasks - Year Two June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Gather data and feedback for
X
evaluation
Program evaluation & reporting X
Continue phased-in rollout of X X X X X X X X X X
program if beneficial
Total Implementation X
Continue with follow-up & long-term
evaluation X

7. Evaluation

7.1 Evaluation Design

The evaluation will utilize a non-experimental pretest-posttest model. This is the same evaluation

design that was used in the original Shifting Boundaries EBI, and allows the students who participate in the

evaluation to act as their own control. Comparisons will be made between pretest and posttest self-report

questionnaires given to students, and their beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors before and after

implementation of the program will be assessed for changes and to determine whether or not they have met

the intended behavioral and learning objectives. An evaluation of change in beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and

behavior will also be assessed again at 6 months post intervention by having the students complete a second

posttest self-report questionnaire. Students confidentiality will be maintained by having each student be

assigned a random number that is attached to their data so that the questionnaires from each student can be

grouped together for comparison but not be attached to a students name. The questionnaires will be taken on

a computer and the number assignment and name blinding will be a part of the service provided by the survey

company. Additional information about the success of the program will be gathered from surveys given to

teachers, staff, and administrators of the participating schools upon completion of the program, meetings

between Prevention and Intervention Instructors and the Program Coordinator, and data from the Oregon

Health Teens Survey.

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7.2 Process Evaluation

A process evaluation will be conducted throughout the duration of the Shifting Boundaries program to

assess the proficiency of the implementation process, program materials, and staff. Parents will be informed of

the goals of the study and its accompanying risks and benefits, and that they can choose to waive their

parental consent for their child to participate in the self-report questionnaires 2 weeks before the first

classroom lesson via email and a letter sent home with their children. Students will also be informed of their

rights (including their right to confidentiality), risks, and benefits of participating in the study in the same email

and letter, and again at the start of the first classroom lesson. Feedback will be attained from program staff (i.e.

the Program Coordinator and the Prevention & Intervention Instructors) through weekly meetings to discuss

progress, concerns, what is going well, and what they would like to see changed for the first year, and then

quarterly after that. Classroom teachers and school administrators will be encouraged to provide feedback to

the Program Coordinator about their observations of how the program is being received by students, teachers,

and school staff. This feedback will be encouraged at any time but will be specifically requested from school

staff after the program has been running for 4 and 8 weeks in their school. Data will be collected on how many

school-based temporary restraining orders (TROs) are being implemented and how long they stay in place.

Classroom teachers will be asked to respond to an email questionnaire about how their students have

responded to the weeks lesson and any questions or concerns that they have about the curriculum or student

responses. This teacher questionnaire will be sent out after each class session at each new school that

implements the Shifting Boundaries program. Following initial implementation teachers will always have the

ability to ask questions and express concerns about the program by speaking to the Prevention & Intervention

Instructors before and after lessons, or by contacting the Program Coordinator. Visits to schools will be

conducted to see if posters are placed in visible spots in hallways. Students will be encouraged to talk with

their school counselor, teacher, the Prevention & Intervention Specialists, or the Program Coordinator about

any questions or concerns they have. There will be an anonymous feedback form available to students in each

classroom that conducts program lessons.

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7.3 Impact Evaluation

The impact of the program success will be measured by collecting data around multiple factors. The

number of school-based temporary restraining orders (TROs) at each school during each academic year will

be tracked, and trends over time will be observed from year to year. Meetings with students will be conducted

to see if they feel the TROs have been effective at keeping them safe and if staff have effectively enforced the

TROs 6 months after implementation of the program. Students will be asked to comment on if they notice less

harassment in the hallways, via a quick email survey at the end of the school year. Pretest-posttest

questionnaires will be evaluated to determine if students understand what boundaries are and how to enforce

their own boundaries; the definitions of harassment and dating/partner violence, what actions constitute

harassment and dating violence, and laws related to harassment and dating violence; the consequences of

dating violence and harassment, including short-term consequences at school and long-term health and

financial consequences; how they use physical spaces within the school walls; the importance of bystanders

as interveners and whether or not they intervene more often as bystanders post intervention than they did pre

intervention; whether they feel comfortable going to school staff and reporting any harassment and violence

they witness and if they do so more often post intervention than they did pre intervention. School

administrators will be asked if they have shifted staff to hot spot areas identified by students, if they have

made and enforced policies related to the program such as the use of TROs consistently and effectively, and if

they believe that their hallways are safer for students the 3 months after implementation of the program.

Teachers and staff will be asked to comment on any observations they have regarding the program success or

failure immediately after the classroom lessons have all been conducted.

7.4 Outcome Evaluation

A reduction in the prevalence of Teen Dating Violence in Multnomah County will be exhibited via the

Oregon Healthy Teens Survey data. A reduction in the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence should be

evident in the data gathered for Oregon for the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS),

given that the population of Multnomah County makes up 20% of the population of the state. A corollary

reduction in IPV-related homicides should also occur.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 19

8. Shifting Boundaries Program Budget

Category Base Salary % FTE Total Benefits Costs Number of Sub Totals
(100% FTE) Salary personnel
Personnel
Program Coordinator $75,000 25% $18,750 $5,625 (@30%) 1 $24,375
Prevention & Intervention $60,000 100% $55,000 $16,500 (@30%) 2 $143,000
Instructors
Personnel Sub Total = $167,375

Materials & Equipment Per unit Units/Number Sub Totals
costs
Program DVDs $79.95 3 $239.85
Color poster printing $13.99 162 $4,532.76
Pens (box of a dozen) $11.89 2 $23.78
Paper (case of 5 reams) $29.99 1 $29.99
Computer $1,000 1 $1,000
M & E Sub Total = $5,826.38

Office Space Per sq. foot Square # of Sub Total
footage months
Cubicle for Program In-Kind absorbed by Multnomah Health Dept. $0
Coordinator
Cubicle shared by $1.50 70 12 $1,260
Instructors
Office Sub Total = $1,260

Other Direct Costs Per unit Units/Number Sub Totals
costs
Travel N/A $0
Training - teacher $400 18 $7,200
compensation
Training food (coffee, $200 1 $200
tea, bagels, veggies)
Surveys $20,000 1 $20,000
Other Sub Total = $27,400

Grand Total = $201,861.38

8.1 Budget Justification

The following budget justification provides general budget guidelines for implementation of one cycle of

the school-based Shifting Boundaries program within Portland Public Schools (PPS). A full cycle of the

program takes one year and includes nine months of a school year plus trainings for teachers and professional

development for program instructors during the summer. The program is facilitated by the Multnomah County

Health Department and utilizes personnel and office space within the health department. There are at risk

teens in every public high school, no matter the level of affluence of the neighborhood in which the high school

is located. Therefore all PPS high schools should be included in the Shifting Boundaries prevention program.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 20

Personnel:

! Program Coordinator (25% FTE): The Program Coordinator will be directly responsible for

implementation of the program. She/he will provide oversight for the program and act in a supervisory role

to the Prevention & Intervention Instructors. Duties will include responsibility for implementing program

goals and objectives, hiring trauma informed Prevention & Intervention Instructors for the program, liaising

with district staff, setting up training sessions for teachers, checking in with the Prevention & Intervention

Instructors, evaluating how the program is progressing, analyzing and interpreting post classroom-based

intervention surveys, etc. This will require approximately 25% of the Program Coordinators time over a

year.

! Prevention & Intervention Instructors (100%FTE): Two permanent, full time instructors would need to be

hired in order to bring the classroom-based curriculum to each high school in the school district each year.

There are 9 high schools in Portland Public Schools and each classroom-based intervention takes 6 class

periods to complete. Each school had multiple health classes for its students, and instructors would need to

be imbedded in each school for 6 weeks. There are approximately 33 weeks of school for the PPS District

each year. This means one instructor could potentially facilitate the classroom-based curriculum in up to 5

schools each year, requiring 2 instructors. They will work full time during the school year, then participate in

professional development and provide teacher trainings during the summer. Their salary will be evenly

distributed throughout the year to provide them with a consistent pay all year long.

The Shifting Boundaries program has a classroom-based intervention that requires watching a DVD

that contains sensitive topics, and classroom discussion around sensitive topics. It is imperative that

trauma informed instructors be hired to go into the classroom and facilitate the lessons along with the

classroom teacher. The National Institute of Justice recommends that instructors trained in prevention and

intervention facilitate the classroom-based curriculum of Shifting Boundaries. Instructors with experience in

leading discussions about sensitive topics, advocacy, and how to provide trauma informed responses to

people triggered by sensitive topics will be hired, and will train themselves on the protocols of the program

using the free guidance materials provided by the Shifting Boundaries authors.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 21

! Fringe Benefits (30%): Fringe benefits for the Program Coordinator and the Prevention & Intervention

Instructors are calculated at a rate of 30% of salary.

Materials:

! DVDs: There is a video that is a core component of the Shifting Boundaries EBI that needs to be

purchased for the classroom-based curriculum. It will be necessary to have one for each instructor plus one

additional as backup. Each DVD costs $79.95. It is assumed that each school has a DVD reader on

classroom computers and a screen to project the video onto in the classroom.

! Posters: There are 18 individual color posters that are a core component of the school building-based

hallway intervention. Each of the 9 high schools in Portland Public Schools needs 2 complete sets in order

to have enough posters to place in all the hallways. The posters need to printed in color. The number of

posters that need to be printed is 324 (9 high schools X 18 posters X 2 sets each). A bulk rate for printing

18 x 24 inch posters at Office Max is $13.99 each.

! Paper: Paper will be needed to print training materials and planning & evaluation proposals.

! Pens: Pens will need to be provided for instructors and for training sessions.

! Computer: A computer will be purchased for the instructors to share in their shared cubicle.

Office Space: The Program Coordinator is a full time employee of the Multnomah County Health Department,

and as such the costs for his/her office space are absorbed in-kind by that agency. The instructors will be hired

specifically for the Shifting Boundaries program and will require a shared cubicle. The program will reimburse

the Multnomah County Health Department for use of a cubicle in that office.

Other Direct Costs:

! Travel: The trained instructors will be traveling to different schools in the district every day. Because their

travel will be inside the city limits, it is within the scope of their position to be expected to travel to those

schools are part of a normal commute. There are no travel miles that need to be paid for by the program.

! Training costs: The health teachers in the PPS District will need to receive training on trauma-informed

responses to students who may be triggered by the topics discussed during the classroom-based

instruction. The training will take place over 2 days and will pay each teacher $400 for their time. If there

are an average of 2 health teachers per high school then the expected cost to pay the teachers for their
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 22

time would be (18 teachers X $400) $7200. The Prevention & Intervention Instructors are paid to teach the

training sessions as part of their salary and would not need to be paid additional compensation. A

conference room in the Health Department could be used for the training at no cost to the program. Coffee,

tea, bagels and veggie trays will be provided during the training.

! Surveys (distribution and evaluation): The EBI requires a survey to be distributed to all participants of

the program at baseline, immediately upon completion of the classroom-based intervention, and at 6

months post intervention. The cost to hire a company that specializes in distributing surveys and analyzing

survey results is estimated to be $20,000.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 23

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