Work

Evaluating the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Know the Signs Program in Preventing School Violence in the Los Angeles Unified School District

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: School violence is a widespread public health issue affecting youth in the U.S. To help address this problem, we examined the effectiveness of the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Know the Signs program on positive school climate indicators and youth developmental outcomes in the Los Angeles Unified School District. We found that students who attended Know the Signs, a school-based violence prevention program, reported greater school climate indicators post-programming when compared to their baseline scores. Further, we found that students who attended Know the Signs reported more positive school climate indicators, including school connectedness and community perceptions, than non-attendees. These findings provide additional nuance to existing evidence that a positive school climate can be one strategy to prevent violence and improve safety while promoting positive youth development in schools.

Source: Journal of School Violence

DOI: 10.1080/15388220.2025.2586546

Authors: Briana A. Scott, Marc A. Zimmerman, Justin Heinze, Hsing-Fang Hsieh

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Quality education

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development