Abstract
Background
Violence is a significant cause of death and disability in Scottish young people and disproportionately affects men from the most socio-economically deprived areas. Medics Against Violence (MAV) is a primary prevention programme delivered by Scottish healthcare professionals to high-school pupils. Through an educational approach, MAV aims to reduce pro-violent attitudes and prevent perpetration and victimisation of violence. The process evaluation aimed to examine the context, delivery and students’ perceptions of the programme.
Methods
School pupils (n = 49) from four schools in Greater Glasgow participated in focus groups that explored their experiences of MAV. Volunteers completed an online survey (n = 61), which was followed by semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of volunteers from different specialities (n = 12). Verbatim transcripts were analysed using Framework thematic analysis.
Results
Students felt the programme was relevant to them and the use of real footage (e.g. CCTV, interviews) and the Glasgow setting provided a sense of realism. Students valued the opportunity to speak to healthcare professionals and felt they were a trustworthy source of information. Whilst students generally felt negatively towards proactive forms of violence, a minority felt it was acceptable in response to actual or perceived threats. Volunteers felt students generally engaged well but felt those from the most deprived areas were able contribute more due to personal experiences. Some volunteers felt able to adapt the programme to meet the life experiences of students; however, others felt the programme needed further development to establish whether the programme was aimed at victimisation or perpetration prevention. Both students and volunteers expressed a need for further time for discussion but felt time was often wasted at the start.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated the need for a novel violence prevention programme in Scotland. Students found sessions engaging and informative, however, would have liked more time to discuss the issues raised with volunteers. Recommendations for development include a greater focus on reactive violence, ensuring schools are prepared for the programme and establishing the most appropriate target audience.
Violence is a significant cause of death and disability in Scottish young people and disproportionately affects men from the most socio-economically deprived areas. Medics Against Violence (MAV) is a primary prevention programme delivered by Scottish healthcare professionals to high-school pupils. Through an educational approach, MAV aims to reduce pro-violent attitudes and prevent perpetration and victimisation of violence. The process evaluation aimed to examine the context, delivery and students’ perceptions of the programme.
Methods
School pupils (n = 49) from four schools in Greater Glasgow participated in focus groups that explored their experiences of MAV. Volunteers completed an online survey (n = 61), which was followed by semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of volunteers from different specialities (n = 12). Verbatim transcripts were analysed using Framework thematic analysis.
Results
Students felt the programme was relevant to them and the use of real footage (e.g. CCTV, interviews) and the Glasgow setting provided a sense of realism. Students valued the opportunity to speak to healthcare professionals and felt they were a trustworthy source of information. Whilst students generally felt negatively towards proactive forms of violence, a minority felt it was acceptable in response to actual or perceived threats. Volunteers felt students generally engaged well but felt those from the most deprived areas were able contribute more due to personal experiences. Some volunteers felt able to adapt the programme to meet the life experiences of students; however, others felt the programme needed further development to establish whether the programme was aimed at victimisation or perpetration prevention. Both students and volunteers expressed a need for further time for discussion but felt time was often wasted at the start.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated the need for a novel violence prevention programme in Scotland. Students found sessions engaging and informative, however, would have liked more time to discuss the issues raised with volunteers. Recommendations for development include a greater focus on reactive violence, ensuring schools are prepared for the programme and establishing the most appropriate target audience.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | Suppl. 2 |
| Early online date | 31 Oct 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
