Violence Prevention Curriculum (Prothrow-Stith Program)

The Prothrow-Stith program is a school-based violence prevention curriculum designed to reduce the rising violence among our nations' youth, by using the public health model of violence. Specifically designed for low-income African American youth living in urban settings, the program consists of 18 classroom-based sessions designed to deter fighting and violence. The objectives of all sessions are to increase knowledge about the nature of violence among this population.

Specifically, the sessions teach participants about the ways the host, agent and environment contributes to youth violence. For example, one lesson demonstrates how an individual (the host), who carries a weapon (a handgun) increases his or her risk of becoming a victim of violence if they come into a conflict situation (environment). The Prothrow-Stith program is different from most other violence reduction programs because it is not conflict-resolution based. Trust building and anger management strategies are also taught through the curriculum that is administered by trained prevention specialists.

To reduce violence among low-income African American youth in urban settings.

An evaluation of the implementation of the Prothrow-Stith curriculum in Richmond, Virginia among sixth grade students at a public high school showed that teaching the public health model of violence was effective in reducing violence and fighting among male participants.