Violence Prevention and Intervention

Providing a safe, healthy and supportive learning environment is key to assisting students in their academic and career success. Preventing school violence requires addressing factors at the individual, relational, community societal levels. Research shows that prevention efforts by teachers, administrators, families, community members, and students can reduce violence and improve the school environment.

Below you will find examples of curricula, best practices and academic based-research. At no time should this list be considered exhaustive, as other evidence-based curricula, programs and practices may exist that are not posted here. These programs may be considered to assist schools and districts in developing and maintaining safe, supportive and healthy learning environments.

Evidence Based Programs, Curricula and Practices

Resources that have identified evidence based violence prevention and intervention efforts include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Preventing School Violence, Preventing Teen Dating Violence
• The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, School Climate Topics
• The University of Colorado Boulder, Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development

Additional Federal and State Resources

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Related Information and Resources

• Emergency Management Planning
• Mental and Behavioral Health and Wellness Supports
• Safe Schools for LGBTQ Students
• Safe and Supportive Schools
• Fostering a Safe Learning Environment for All Students — January 2024 Memo to Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response

• CDC, Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
• Children's Trust, Massachusetts, Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
  • Steps Toward Child Abuse Prevention & Creating Safe School Environments (2024) , a manual with information and guidance on creating, evaluating, and sustaining policies, procedures, and protocols for the proactive prevention of child maltreatment and child sexual abuse in Massachusetts schools.
  • Safe Kids Thrive Prevention Tool Kit
• Massachusetts Children's Alliance (MACA), Child Advocacy Centers
• Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF), Child Abuse and Neglect
• The Office of the Child Advocate has created free and online Massachusetts Mandated Reporter Training for school personnel specific to reporting child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts.

Commercial and Sexual Exploitation

• Massachusetts Office for Victims Assistance (MOVA), Human Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Services
• Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention (OJJPD), Sexual Exploitation of Children | Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (ojp.gov)
• Youth.gov Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors; and Youth Human Trafficking Prevention
• Human Trafficking in America's Schools | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) (ed.gov)

Hate Crimes Prevention and Intervention

• Attorney General's Guidance to Schools on Hate and Bias Incidents
• Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes, The Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes: 2019 Education Recommendations

Youth Violence

• CDC, Preventing Teen Dating Violence
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)
  • Child and Youth Prevention Services
  • Promoting Healthy Relationships for Youth
• Preventing and responding to sexual and dating violence:
  The Federal Task Force on Sexual Violence in Education has created recommendations to be considered in addition to schools' existing requirements to ensure that sexual and dating violence prevention and response policies, programs, initiatives, and activities comply with legal obligations.

Additional Resources

• Office of the Child Advocate

• Resources shared during Fall 20923 from the U.S. Department of Education (USED):

  • The USED Office for Civil Rights published a Dear Colleague Letter and additional online resources in November 2023 to address the rise in reports of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and other hate- or bias-based incidents at schools and colleges. The letter reminds educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance of their legal obligations to provide all students — including those who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian — a learning environment that is free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

  • In November 2023, the National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, a technical assistance center funded by USED, released a collection of specialized resources for schools, designed to help educators, students, parents, and community members prevent antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of discrimination.

  • In December 2023, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona hosted a webinar on how PK–12 schools (remarks and video) can support students and foster a safe, inclusive learning environment. The webinar presented resources to help respond to the rise in reports of antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, and other forms of discrimination. Additionally, USED's Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has online resources for preventing and addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools.

For More Information:

The Office of Student and Family Support (SFS) via achievement@mass.gov or 781-338-3010.

Last Updated: November 22, 2024