Spotlight on New Research at WCW:
Evaluation of a Sex-ed Curriculum
Examination of Bullying Perpetration and Sexual Violence
December 15, 2007
Several new projects are underway at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), including an evaluation of a sex education curriculum in Massachusetts, and the examination of the overlap of bullying perpetration/victimization and sexual violence in order to inform sexual violence prevention in U.S. schools.
The Formative Evaluation of the Get Real Middle School Sexual Education Curriculum project, funded by Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM), is led by Sumru Erkut, Ph.D., WCW senior research scientist and associate director. This project is a multi-faceted engagement with PPLM to conduct a formative assessment of the Get Real middle school sexual education curriculum. The project includes developing a student assessment tool; technical assistance and evaluation of the instructions for teachers and the teacher training program; technical assistance in the development of a high school sexual education curriculum, and; consultation with PPLM stakeholders to define the goals of an impact evaluation. Ineke Ceder, WCW research associate, and Jenny Grossman, Ph.D., NICHD postdoctoral research fellow, are working on this initiative with Erkut.
The Middle School Bullying & Sexual Violence: Measurement Issues & Etiological Models project, co-led by Nan Stein, Ed.D., WCW senior research scientist, will address a critical issue by examining the overlap of bullying perpetration/victimization and sexual violence in order to inform sexual violence prevention in U.S. schools. Data will be collected from approximately 3,500 middle school students in 100 classrooms and their teachers and key administrators across a three-year period. Study results will be instrumental in guiding current practices around sexual violence and bullying prevention efforts and in helping to understand the ways in which all the school actors make sense and frame incidents of bullying and sexual harassment/violence. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
A full listing of new research projects can be found in the Fall/Winter Research Action Report. All projects can be found on the WCW website.
For more than 30 years, the Wellesley Centers for Women has been a driving force—both behind the scenes and in the spotlight—promoting positive change for women and men, girls and boys. WCW brings together an interdisciplinary community of scholars engaged in research, training, analysis, and action. Our groundbreaking work is dedicated to looking at the world through the eyes of women with the goal of shaping a better world for all.
