Can Attitudinal Changes Toward Reporting Curb Violence? An Experimen tal School Intervention in Peru
Abstract:
This paper explores a preventative approach to reduce youth vi olence in urban settings of developing countries. In the context of Peru, w e examine a school-based intervention aimed at changing attitudes toward re porting violence, using a randomized control trial. The intervention traine d students and key school personnel through classroom discussions, and an o nline platform for reporting and solving incidents using less punitive prac tices. Our findings, drawn from student survey data, school records, and po lice data, show a 50 percent decline in youth violent crime in treated scho ols and their surrounding areas. These effects primarily stem from changes in attitudes and behaviors concerning the reporting of violence. Using scho ol records and data from the online platform, we find that students increas e their reporting of violence, with most cases being successfully resolved in the schools. The drop in school violence also has beneficial long-term e ffects: there is a noticeable decrease in school dropout rates, higher test scores and a lower likelihood of school perpetrators engaging in adult cri minal activities four years post-intervention. These results underscore the effectiveness of initiatives that encourage reporting of violence in schoo l settings, in reducing crime, and fostering a safe environment without sti gmatizing perpetrators.
DTSTAMP:20260408T112546Z DTSTART:20240306T130000Z DTEND:20240306T140000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR