Making the Case for Domestic Violence Prevention Through the Lens of Cost-Benefit
A Manual for Domestic Violence Prevention Practitioners
(and the State and Local Policy-Makers They Present to)
Demonstrating The Impact of A Prevention Program
How can we show that our small prevention program contributes to a reduction in the huge problem of domestic violence?
“A theory of change shows the pathway of an initiative by making explicit both the outcomes of an initiative (early, intermediate and longer term) and the action strategies that will lead to the achievement of these outcomes. The quality of a theory of change is judged by four explicit criteria: how plausible, doable, testable, and meaningful the theory of change is.”
Connell and Klem,
Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 11(1), 93-120,
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2000.
All too often, we are unable to show the impact of a prevention program or effort on the overall problem of domestic violence. What is possible, however, is to show the impact of a prevention program or effort on a specific piece of the overall picture or larger problem.
Any one domestic violence prevention program can contribute to the prevention of all domestic violence by focusing on one piece of the job in one specific location. A prevention program seeking to show it is effective must link its specific work to the theory that drives the overall approach – in other words: what impact you are trying to have here and why you think that what you are doing will lead to that desired change here. This requires some research and thinking.
“We often forget to include short-term or intermediate outcomes. People say, well it’s really great what you’re doing, but you said you were going to reduce teen pregnancy by 50%. You didn’t say you were going to build and sustain a group of dedicated individuals that understands your theory of change and the different roles of partners in the community and is committed to a long-term process. So it’s important to get consensus on what the steps are that need to take place at each stage of the process, then really own and value those short and intermediate outcomes.”
Susan Thompson
Community Development Manager
Lake Family Resource Center
September 23, 2005.
Below is an outline of this thinking and worksheets to develop a basic theory of cause and basic theory of change. This thinking can be applied to any prevention program.
First, Describe Your Theory of Cause
A theory can be used to describe the root cause of a problem. It can help you say: this is the basic problem and this is what has led to this problem, factor by factor. Remember that there is a direct correlation between why you believe domestic violence happens (the problem) and what you will do to prevent it (the solution).
|
A
Root Cause |
 |
B
Consequence |
|
C
Current Problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young people and adults have been socialized to tolerate and even benefit from relationship/ intimate partner violence (IPV). |
Young people and adults are not aware of:1) the possibility that IPV should not be tolerated AT ALL;2) the spectrum, types and indicators of relationship violence; and,3) do not have the skills or support to stop their own violence or their own experience of others’ violence.
|
High rates of relationship/intimate partner violence (IPV). |
Because our theory of cause says that not knowing about intimate partner violence or how to change this violent behavior leads to IPV, our prevention program will necessarily aim to provide that information as well as to increase people’s ability to apply the information learned.
Next, Determine Your Theory of Change
A “Theory of Change” can help you say: this is our ultimate goal or intended outcome, and this is the way, step by step, to reach that goal. Having a clear understanding of what activities will logically lead to your ultimate outcome helps make your program design stronger.
|
A
Intervention or Prevention Method |
|
B
Intermediate Goal of this Method |
|
C
Ultimate Goal/Outcome of this Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reaching a range of community members through several educational methods that facilitate a change in beliefs about relationship/intimate partner violence and show how to apply the knowledge learned as a result of participation in these educational activities. |
There is:
1) increased awareness of relationship/intimate partner violence; 2) change in beliefs about relationship/intimate partner violence; and, 3) increased action to stop this relationship/intimate partner violence. |
There is a decrease in relationship/intimate partner violence in the community and a growing intolerance for relationship/intimate partner violence there. |
Finally, Find Published Research That Supports Your Theories
When describing and seeking support for your program, it can be helpful to support your overall theory of change with a description of your assumptions or guiding principles, as well as research that supports your program’s approach.
Preventing domestic violence requires identifying the root causes of the violence, addressing those causes, measuring the effects of the prevention effort and feeding the knowledge gained from that analysis back into the prevention effort. These tasks are not easily accomplished, especially as there are many different viewpoints regarding the causes of domestic violence. As you think through what you believe causes domestic and intimate partner violence, you might want to review professional literature related to the work you are doing to find out what others believe contributes to this violence as well as what others believe can contribute to individual and social-level behavioral change. Following are just several of many theories or approaches to these questions that have been previously published and could thus support your case.