Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies
| Authors | Country | Study designa | Control group | Study setting | Target population | Sample (baseline) | Intervention type | Intervention name | Length | Main contents/activities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berk-Seligson et al. (2014) | El Salvador | Cluster randomised controlled trial | Neighbourhoods without the programme | 41 at-risk neighbourhoods from 4 municipalities | Community but focused on youths | 2399 | Community-based; Multiple Components | Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) | 28 months | (a) Social entrepreneurship skills for youths and leaders; (b) Vocational training; (c) Theatre, painting and puppetry; (d) Counseling programs for at youth-at-risk and their families; (e) Grants for school equipment; (f) Youth clubs; (g) Conflict mediation among teachers, students, parents and community leaders; (h) Radio |
| 2 | Berthelon and Kruger (2011) | Chile | Ecologic study, time-series analysis | No control | Public schools; municipalities | Students: 9th–12th grade | NA; ecologic design | National school reform | Full-day School Reform | NA | Full-day school reform to increase the amount of time that students spend in school from 32 to 39 h per week (22 % of time increase) |
| 3 | Kenney and Godson (2002) | Mexico and US | Non-randomised controlled trial | Schools without the programme | 11 schools in urban areas from 2 border cities | Students: 9th grade | 814 | School-based | School-Based Education to Counter Crime and Corruption | 4 months | Class-room based curriculum on: (a) Values, self-Esteem and a culture of lawfulness; (b) Organised crime and corruption; (d) Furthering the rule of law, resistance techniques and what students can do |
| 4 | Muñoz-Vallejos and Rosales-Donoso (2008) | Chile | Cross-sectional, two groups | Schools where the programme started recently | 6 public schools in 1 urban area | Students: 5th–10th grade | 502 | School-based; Multiple Components | Programa de Mediación Escolar | 12 monthsb | (a) Modifications to school rules; (b) Implementation of 14 weeks “for a good coexistance in school”; (c) Training to teachers, Principals and students/peers in mediation (200 h of training) |
| 5 | Pérez et al. (2013) | Chile | Before-after study (panel of schools/grades) | No control | 1 school in urban area | Female Students: 4th–12th grade | 320 | School-based; Multiple Components | Vínculos | 20 months | (a) Promotion of the programme; (b) Meetings with teachers, students and parents; (c) Students design of programme name and logo; (e) Newsletter to parents, teachers and students; (f) Skills development in the classroom; (g) Mailbox for complaints of bullying; (h) Detection and monitoring of cases of bullying |
| 6 | Reyes-Moreno (2011) | Peru | Before-after study (panel of schools/grades) | No control | Public schools in 4 regions | Students: 5th–10th grade | 537 | Family based | Familias Fuertes Amor y Límites | 1 month, 3 weeks | (a) Groups for parents; (b) Groups for adolescents; (c) Activities for parents-adolescents; (d) Skills development for parents monitoring, listening and empaty; (d) Skills development for avoidance of peer pressure and risks; (e) Promotion of parents-adolescents communication |
| 7 | Silveira et al. (2010) | Brazil | Ecologic study, time-series analysis | Violent and non-violent favelas without the programme | 1 urban at-risk area (violent and non-violent favelas) | Community but focused on youths | NA; ecologic design | Community-based; Multiple components | Staying Alive [Fica Vivo] | 52 monthsb,c | (a) Promotion of the programme; (b) Mobilisation of police (search and seisure of arms, search and arrest warrants, police occupation of trafficking places); (c) Policing of special risk areas; (d) Workshops and events (sporting, cultural, citizenship, health and professional) to youths 20 h per week; (e) Working groups to solve local problems (health, education and productive involvement) |
| 8 | Varela et al. (2009), Tijmes and Varela (2008) | Chile | Before-after study (panel of schools/grades) | No control | 3 schools in 1 urban area | Students: 5th–12th grade | 2007 | School-based; multiple components | Programa Paz Educa | 24 monthsb | (a) Improvements to physical environment in school; (b) Training to teachers; (c) Key messages and skills development in classroom; (d) Individual counselling to students with problematic behaviours; (e) Meetings with parents |
| 9 | Varela (2011) | Chile | Before-after study (panel of schools/grades) | No control | 4 schools in 1 urban area | Students: 5th–12th grade | 677 | School-based; Multiple components | Recoleta en Buena | 24 monthsa | (a) Improvements to physical environment in school; (b) Training to teachers; (c) Skills development in classroom; (d) Individual counselling to students with problematic behaviours; (e) Meetings with parents and community key actors to strengthen the link between the school and health services/other social programmes |
A systematic review of interventions to prevent youth violence. Latin America, 2015 (Countries from Latin America, excluding the Caribbean, Surinam, Guyana and French Guiana; primary or secondary preventive interventions)
NA Not applicable
aAccording to the authors of this review
bNo information is provided on the exact number of months or weeks of implementation
cThe programme decreased the activities after 7 months and started after 12 months. The activities focused on youths ran from month 22–53