Our School
Mentors in Violence Prevention
Mentors in Violence Prevention is an application-based student organization that utilizes trained student leaders (MVP Mentors) and supportive adults to guide discussions and problem-solving activities around scenarios that depict harassment, bullying and other forms of gender violence. MVP Mentors are trained to implement lessons to sophomore students, providing concrete tools and options for confronting, interrupting and preventing violence which are discussed in small group settings or classes. No specific option is promoted. Rather, the goal is to promote discussion of various safe, non-violent options that could be used when confronting bullying, harassment or abuse.
The MVP model has been evaluated in multiple high schools throughout the state of Iowa and been shown to:
- Increase students’ awareness of bullying and abusive behaviors among peers and friends.
- Increase students’ problem-solving skills, knowledge and understanding of the bystander approach to preventing bullying and gender violence among peers and friends.
- Increase students’ attitudes and their perceptions of other peers’ and friends’ attitudes with respect to interfering and preventing bullying and violence behaviors.
- Decrease incidents of bullying and gender violence among student populations.