Center for Child and Adolescent Violence Prevention

Center for Child and Adolescent Violence Prevention

Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT)

Description A school-based violence prevention program for adolescents or older children. The Center operates a program for adolescents in a middle school and a program for 4th-6th graders in an elementary school.

Purpose To reduce the risk that youngsters will become victims or perpetrators of violence. The program addresses the problem of expressive violence coming from loss of emotional control among friends, family members, and aquqaintances.

Target Population At-risk youngsters, 10-18, who are recommended by teachers on the basis of skill deficiencies in relating to peers, behavior problems (particularly instigating fights), or a history of victimization or exposure to violence. PACT was developed with special sensitivity to the needs of African American youth but the program techniques are applicable to, and frequently used, with youth from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Training Focus PACT training helps adolescents:

learn more socially appropriate and effective ways of interacting with others;

recognize and control angry emotions that can interfere with verbal resolutions to conflict; and

understand and avoid violence risk.

Training Method Youth are trained in small groups of no more than 10. Adolescent participants are introduced to skills related to avoiding violence through a project-developed resource called Dealing with Anger: Givin' It, Takin' It, Workin' It Out. Target skills include: giving negative feedback (expressing criticism or displeasure calmly and constructively); receiving negative feedback (reacting appropriately to the anger or criticism of others); and negotiation (identifying problems and potential solutions and learning to compromise.) Each skill is broken down into well-defined behavioral steps that youth practice in small group sessions. Anger management and violence risk-safety education are integrated throughout the program.

Contact Janeece Warfield, Psy.D.
Center for Child and Adolescent VIolence Prevention
Ellis Institue
School of Professional Psychology
Wright State University
9 N. Edwin Moses Blvd.
Dayton, Ohio 45407

Description	A school-based violence prevention program for adolescents or older children. The Center operates a program for adolescents in a middle school and a program for 4th-6th graders in an elementary school.
Purpose	To reduce the risk that youngsters will become victims or perpetrators of violence. The program addresses the problem of expressive violence coming from loss of emotional control among friends, family members, and aquqaintances.
Target Population	At-risk youngsters, 10-18, who are recommended by teachers on the basis of skill deficiencies in relating to peers, behavior problems (particularly instigating fights), or a history of victimization or exposure to violence. PACT was developed with special sensitivity to the needs of African American youth but the program techniques are applicable to, and frequently used, with youth from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Training Focus	PACT training helps adolescents: learn more socially appropriate and effective ways of interacting with others; recognize and control angry emotions that can interfere with verbal resolutions to conflict; and understand and avoid violence risk.
Training Method	Youth are trained in small groups of no more than 10. Adolescent participants are introduced to skills related to avoiding violence through a project-developed resource called Dealing with Anger: Givin' It, Takin' It, Workin' It Out. Target skills include: giving negative feedback (expressing criticism or displeasure calmly and constructively); receiving negative feedback (reacting appropriately to the anger or criticism of others); and negotiation (identifying problems and potential solutions and learning to compromise.) Each skill is broken down into well-defined behavioral steps that youth practice in small group sessions. Anger management and violence risk-safety education are integrated throughout the program.
Contact	Janeece Warfield, Psy.D. Center for Child and Adolescent VIolence Prevention Ellis Institue School of Professional Psychology Wright State University 9 N. Edwin Moses Blvd. Dayton, Ohio 45407