Start Where You Are, Do What You Can: Using Policy and Practice Change to Support Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Introduction. Strengthening policy is one of four components of Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships, a national initiative to promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence (TDV) among 11- to 14-year-olds.  The initiative is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Blue Shield of California Foundation, in collaboration with Futures Without Violence. The initiative’s 11 grantees were provided with a model school policy and technical assistance in policy change efforts.  This presentation will describe outcomes of the policy component and factors influencing strategic choices in influencing both formal policy and practice change. 

Methods.  An mixed-method assessment of the policy component was conducted as part of an independent evaluation of Start Strong.  Activities comprising the policy assessment included three rounds of key informant interviews with individual(s) most engaged in policy efforts within each site; review of policy documents in place at baseline and adopted over the course of the three-year initiative; and two rounds of a survey of stakeholders whose role encompasses TDV prevention in schools and school districts within each site. 

Results. At baseline, policies in the 11 sites ranged from the absence of district policy on TDV or related behaviors (e.g., bullying), to existing policy containing nearly all elements of the model policy.  Over a three-year implementation period, each grantee worked on formal policy by enacting new policy or – more commonly – enhancing existing policy by such means as inserting TDV language, adding content or strengthening requirements.  Grantees also worked to translate formal policy to practice by such means as drafting administrative guidelines.  At the same time, grantees worked to change practice environments by developing resources such as training for school personnel, parent education programs, and supports for at-risk students.  Grantees focused on practice changes that met schools’ priorities, were financially sustainable, and addressed gaps in current and anticipated policies. These efforts had immediate impacts for students and built capacity of school personnel.

Conclusions. Existing policy resources, access to organizational champions, and political climate were among the factors influencing grantees’ achievements with respect to formal policies.  All grantees, however, were able to implement practice changes that could support formal policy or – in its absence – achieve at least some of its goals.  Given the many challenges of policy change, efforts targeting practice can achieve short-term impacts and support eventual implementation of formal policy.