Preliminary Findings from the Evaluation of Community-Based Project Respect: Addressing Gaps in Adolescent Dating and Gender-Based Violence Prevention.

School-based prevention programs focused on reducing adolescent dating and gender-based violence (DGBV) have seen substantial growth in recent years. From 2018 to 2023, we used community-based participatory research (CBPR) to evaluate Project Respect's Healthy Relations and Consent and Safer Spaces programs. This study assessed changes in students' knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to consent after participating in the Healthy Relations and Consent Workshops and found increased understanding of consent, greater confidence in boundary setting, and improved bystander intervention skills. Students also perceived a more positive school culture around consent. Educators who participated in the Safer Spaces Workshop reported enhanced confidence in fostering inclusive environments for students and a deeper understanding of gender expansiveness and sexuality. Our preliminary findings suggest that a whole-school approach to consent education benefits both students and educators and should be included as part of the education of middle and high school students and their educators. Additionally, using CBPR, especially including the voices of gender-diverse students, is important and should be prioritized in future DGBV prevention efforts.