Using interactive theater to create socioculturally relevant community-based intimate partner violence prevention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant public health issue globally.
• Community norms play a crucial role in perpetuating or preventing IPV.
• Bystander intervention strategies are increasingly recognized as vital for IPV prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe community-generated approaches for bystander interventions to prevent IPV.
• To foster changes in community norms related to IPV.
• To present a case example of a university-community partnership in Asian communities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized interactive theater and audience response assessment.
• Employed peer educators to facilitate community engagement.
• Implemented and examined bystander interventions within specific community contexts, including a walk for IPV awareness in South Asian communities.

Main Results:

• Interactive theater and peer educators facilitated community-generated bystander interventions.
• Enacted interventions reflected specific community contexts and cultural relevance.
• The approach demonstrated potential for mobilizing community members in IPV prevention.

Conclusions:

• Community-generated bystander interventions are a promising strategy for IPV prevention.
• Interactive theater and peer education can effectively engage communities in addressing IPV.
• Collaboration with community partners is essential but presents challenges that require careful consideration.