Systematic Development of a Dutch School-Based Sexual Prejudice Reduction Program: an Intervention Mapping Approach

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Education

Background:

• Sexual prejudice negatively impacts the quality of life and psychological well-being of sexual minority youth.
• Existing interventions may not be adequately tailored to specific cultural and educational contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically develop a theory- and evidence-based sexual prejudice reduction program for the Dutch high school setting.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of the program development process using the intervention mapping approach.

Main Methods:

• The intervention mapping approach (IM) was employed, involving six key steps.
• These steps included needs assessment, objective formulation, method selection, program development, adoption/implementation planning, and evaluation planning.

Main Results:

• The process involved gathering empirical, theoretical, and new data for a thorough problem understanding.
• Program objectives were formulated for both students and teachers, with theory-based methods and applications selected.

Conclusions:

• Developing a sexual prejudice reduction program for schools is a challenging yet achievable endeavor.
• The intervention mapping approach proved effective for the systematic, theory- and evidence-driven development of the program.