Pass it On: An Evaluation of a Sexualized Violence Prevention Program for Middle School and High School Students

Sexualized violence is a growing problem among middle school and high school students, exacerbated by the proliferation of social media and technology. A group of community members and university researchers created the Pass it On program using feminist definitions and bystander frameworks to address this problem. This program was implemented in two waves, with three middle school and three high school male-only groups in the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario, Canada. After the five-week program, high school participants showed significant positive change in both bystander and victim blaming attitude measurements. Both groups of participants showed significant positive change in knowledge about bystander intervention. Due to test version interaction, results about bystander beliefs could not be assessed. Results indicate that there were no significant changes in most attitude, knowledge, and belief measurements about sexualized violence in both age groups. Limitations and future directions of this program are discussed.M.A

EEG asymmetry and BIS/BAS among healthy adolescents

Asymmetry in frontal alpha activation (FAA) has been associated with specific behavior patterns. Greater activation in the left frontal cortex is related to “approach” motivation, while greater activation in the right cortex is associated with “withdrawal” motivation. Moreover, resting FAA is stable over time among adults. This stability has not been demonstrated among adolescents, and the correspondence between resting FAA and personality has been inconsistently observed. The present study examined stability of FAA and the association between resting FAA and behavioral activation among adolescents. At baseline and 4 months, 99 adolescents completed a resting electroencephalogram (EEG) and a pencil-and-paper measure of personality (BIS/BAS). FAA showed good stability over time (Intra-class correlation coefficient = .65, p < .001), but there was no correlation between FAA and personality. Results are interpreted in light of a capability model of FAA; namely, that asymmetry may emerge under conditions of stimulation and recede during resting