Interaction Competencies with Children – Development and Theory of Change of a Preventative Intervention for Teachers in the Context of Socially Accepted Violence

Abstract

Violence against children is a global problem and has massive negative consequences for individuals and society. In many countries violence in education is socially accepted and widespread. Violence against children has multiple individual and societal causes and maintaining factors. Even in schools, children are frequently exposed to violence, which speaks to the need for school-based preventative approaches. The target group for preventative interventions should primarily be the individuals perpetrating the violence – in this context: teachers. The causal factors should be addressed comprehensively while accounting for the scarcity of resources in these contexts. This overview describes and discusses the preventative intervention Interaction Competencies with Children – for Teachers and its mechanisms of change. The intervention is a 5.5-day training workshop for teachers in societies where violent discipline is accepted. The aim of the intervention is a behaviour change in teachers. A central component is the dynamic of the intervention, which enables a readiness in teachers to change their behaviour, improving teachers’ competence, and increasing their motivation to act. Further, the intervention operates on different levels in that it addresses normative aspects at the school system level as well as individual factors. How different methods and topics operate and interact at the individual and school levels should be addressed through future evaluations of the process of behaviour change.