3 November 2022
The Mentors in Violence Prevention Programme
In early November, a number of Year 9 pupils were trained as part of the Merseyside Youth Association’s “Mentors in Violence” Programme (MVP).
The programme was first developed as a sports culture initiative in 1993 by Dr Jackson Katz and his colleagues at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society.
The decision was made to introduce MVP to Scottish secondary schools as a preventative approach to tackling violence, bullying and abusive behaviour; in 2011, a pilot programme began in two Scottish secondary schools. An evaluation of this pilot highlighted positive outcomes in attitudinal change, suggesting individuals felt more empowered to support and even challenge their peers when faced with situations they recognised as unhealthy. The decision was therefore made to roll the programme out across Scotland.
Upon completion of the MVP Programme, pupils and staff identified an improved ethos within the school and a reduction of barriers between older and younger pupils. Mentors and staff identify a positive impact on mentors’ confidence and the enhancement of a range of skills such as leadership, teamwork and presentation skills.
(MVP) recognises the role of relationships in achieving its objectives; it aims to raise awareness of a range of important issues that are impacting on communities.
By providing opportunities to discuss a range of behaviours and attitudes within the context of health and emotional wellbeing, the programme equips young people with the skills to recognise the differences between what are appropriate and acceptable behaviours and what are not, adopting strategies that enable them to safely challenge inappropriate behaviours. Funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), The Mentors in Violence Prevention programme has been delivered throughout the Liverpool City Region by Merseyside Youth Association since 2020.
The MVP programme defines violence as including verbal, emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse. Defining violence in this way highlights that various forms of abuse can cause serious harm in relationships.
Through this academic year, our trained mentors will deliver a series of sessions to Year 7 pupils.
