Scott, B. A., Zimmerman, M. A., Heinze, J., & Hsieh, H. F. (2025). Evaluating the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Know the Signs Program in Preventing School Violence in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Journal of School Violence, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2025.2586546
ABSTRACT
School violence is a widespread public health issue affecting youth in the U.S. To help address this problem, we examined the effectiveness of the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Know the Signs program on positive school climate indicators and youth developmental outcomes in the Los Angeles Unified School District. We found that students who attended Know the Signs, a school-based violence prevention program, reported greater school climate indicators post-programming when compared to their baseline scores. Further, we found that students who attended Know the Signs reported more positive school climate indicators, including school connectedness and community perceptions, than non-attendees. These findings provide additional nuance to existing evidence that a positive school climate can be one strategy to prevent violence and improve safety while promoting positive youth development in schools.
KEYWORDS: School violence, school safety, school climate, program evaluation