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Preventing Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Aggression in College Dating Relationships

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Abstract

The present experiment evaluated the effectiveness of a brief program to prevent physical, psychological, and sexual aggression in dating relationships. The program consisted of an educational video followed by a discussion led by either a female presenter or male/female co-presenters. Undergraduates (N = 123; 45 males, 78 females) were randomly assigned to either an intervention condition or the control condition. Participants in both intervention conditions endorsed more prosocial attitudes about dating aggression immediately following the intervention and compared to control participants. The program was well-received by both male and female participants regardless of the sex of the presenters. However, some attitude changes were not maintained at a delayed follow-up. Recommendations for future prevention studies are discussed.

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Kuffel, S.W., Katz, J. Preventing Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Aggression in College Dating Relationships. The Journal of Primary Prevention 22, 361–374 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015275506306

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