Original source: http://www.communityresearch.org.nz/resources.php?view=1110

This report presents the results of an evaluation of a pilot programme of Kidpower workshops in New Zealand schools. Kidpower workshops are designed to teach young people how to protect themselves from violence. Schools involved in the pilot programme could select from several one-hour workshops: safety skills for children out on their own, how to avoid or stop bullying, and setting boundaries with people the child knows. Data was collected from teachers and students through self-complete evaluation forms immediately after the workshops (95% response rate), and a follow-up questionnaire sent to schools three months after the programme (response rate of 43% for students and 53% for teachers). The evaluation focused on what students had learned from the workshops, the skills that were most helpful, and any improvements that could be made to the workshops. The follow up questionnaire focused on skills that had been used since the workshops. The research found students and teachers considered the workshops useful. Three months later most students had used at least once some of the skills they had learned. The author concludes Kidpower is an effective and enjoyable programme to teach children to protect themselves from violence.

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