Abstract
Social norms are shared rules indicating whether a behavior is typical or desirable among one’s reference group. While social norms play a role in shaping peer violence, the evidence of the strength of this influence is mixed. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between social norms and peer violence and identifies the strategies and outcomes of social norms interventions. Five databases were searched, identifying only seven studies: three focused on the empirical relationship between social norms and peer violence, and four on social norms interventions on peer violence. The strength of the influence of social norms on peer violence depends on individual-level characteristics and the type and degree of violence. Social norms lack a unified definition and are not by themselves a critical factor in reducing peer violence. This research contributes to clarifying the current and future role of social norms in preventing peer violence.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank María José Castro, Camila Delgadillo, María Fernanda Rodriguez, and Felipe Ruiz for their outstanding research assistantship.
Funding
The research leading to this manuscript received funding from the Fund for Assistant Professors, Vice-dean of research at Los Andes University under Grant Agreement No. P20.283622.001/01, and from the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health under the GEMS small grants scheme.
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MCDS conceived of the study and design, worked on the analysis, and produced the final version of the manuscript. VYF worked on the analysis and drafted the manuscript. MJVG and ANR conducted the search and contributed to the manuscript, and JP and AIVO contributed to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Dedios Sanguineti, M.C., Yepes Fiallo, V., Valencia Garzón, M.J. et al. Social Norms and Interventions on Peer Violence: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature. Adolescent Res Rev 8, 63–73 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00191-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00191-8