A Game-based Intervention – a technical tool for social workers to combat Adolescent Dating-Violence

Emma Sorbring,Jennie Ryding,Anette Bolin

doi:10.18060/18260

Abstract

Dating violence prevalence is increasing and effective prevention and intervention methods are needed in order to adress this growing social problem. The use of on-line game-based intervention programmes open ups new possibilities for social worker practice of interventions on a large scale. The purpose of this study was to examine young people´s experiences of a on line game-based intervention programme designed to adress dating-violence among youths. Swedish youths that took part in the intervention programme were interviewed in focus-groups. Results indicate that the use of a game as an intervention method for this socially sensitive topic was perceived as positive by the young people, seeing it as a new, engaging and interesting method. The findings from the study indicate that on-line game-based programme addressing dating violence between young people has the potential to be used as a technical tool in social work practice.

Highlights

The prevalence of dating violence is increasing, and effective prevention and intervention methods are needed to address this growing social problem
In this study we gather qualitative information directly from the young people who have taken part in a game-based intervention programme regarding dating violence. This provides useful information about how young people themselves evaluate the game, information that can be used to develop the basic methods used by social workers to address social problems such as adolescent dating violence
The aim of the present study was to examine Swedish adolescents’ attitudes towards the online game-based intervention for adolescent dating-violence (ADV) called Green Acres High Focus group interviews were conducted with the aim of gaining insight into the participating adolescents” thoughts and ideas with regard to the usefulness of the game

Summary

Introduction

In this study we gather qualitative information directly from the young people who have taken part in a game-based intervention programme regarding dating violence This provides useful information about how young people themselves evaluate the game, information that can be used to develop the basic methods used by social workers to address social problems such as adolescent dating violence. Leen and colleagues (2013) concluded in their review article of North American and European studies that psychological dating violence is more prevalent than physical and sexual dating violence and prevalence rates are similar for girls and boys across all forms of violence in the majority of the reported studies Gender differences, when they are present, mainly concern sexual abuse. Due to the negative impact that adolescent dating-violence (ADV) has on the individual’s short- and long-term health (such as low self-esteem, negative selfconcept, anxiety, depression symptoms, suicide thoughts and attempts) as well as future negative relations (Molidor & Tolman, 1998; Muños-Rivas, Gámes-Guadix, FernándezGonzález, & Lozano, 2011; O’Donnell et al, 2006), there is a growing consensus about the importance of the development of effective, easy-to-facilitate, and large-scale intervention programs (Edelen, McCaffrey, Marshall, & Jaycox, 2009)

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