An evaluation of Kornblum's body-based violence prevention curriculum for children

Abstract

This article describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of Disarming the Playground (2002), a school-based violence prevention curriculum. The program was developed and implemented by Rena Kornblum, a dance/movement therapist working in the Madison, WI public schools. Disarming the Playground is unique among such programs in its body-based approach. A review of the literature focuses on recent evaluations and reviews of other school-based violence prevention programs, as well as large-scale meta-analyses of and guides to such program evaluations. A mixed method evaluation of the Kornblum curriculum's effectiveness was conducted with second grade students. Statistical findings indicated significant positive outcomes, and qualitative findings pointed toward reasons for its effectiveness, as well as methods of improving evaluation and delivery of the curriculum.