Preventing Physical and Emotional Violence by Teachers in Public Schools in Pakistan

Violence has severe and long-lasting negative consequences for children and adolescents' well-being and psychosocial functioning, thereby also hampering communities and societies' economic growth. Studies show high prevalence rates of violence by teachers against children in Pakistan. In addition to legal and structural factors (e. g. stressful working conditions for teachers), attitudes favoring violence against children as an effective and acceptable discipline method and the lack of access to alternative non-violent strategies are likely to contribute to teachers' ongoing use of violence against children. Notwithstanding, there are currently very few school-level interventions to reduce violence by teachers that a) have been scientifically evaluated and b) that focus both on changing attitudes towards violence and on equipping teachers with non-violent discipline strategies. Thus, the present study tests the effectiveness of the preventative intervention Interaction Competencies with Children - for Teachers (ICC-T) in secondary schools in Pakistan. Previous studies have provided initial evidence on the feasibility to implement teacher violence interventions in secondary schools in Pakistan. This study aims to provide first evidence for the effectiveness of ICC-T to reduce violence and to improve children's functioning (i.e. mental health, well-being, academic performance) in Pakistan.