This year the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report about preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women. The 102 page report addressed the magnitude and risk factors of intimate partner and sexual violence against women. But the report also studied current strategies that are used to prevent violence against women. The findings may surprise you.

The strategies were grouped by what the WHO referred to as life stage. Meaning they studied strategies developed for childhood, adolescence, early adulthood and adulthood. The report found that of all the strategies studied only one, that’s right, only one was found to be effective.

WHO found that school based programs to prevent teen dating violence were the only effective programs to prevent intimate partner and sexual violence against women.

In my August 23rd blog titled “Start Them Young” (http://www.thebusinessofme.com/the-business-of-me-blog.php) I talk about teaching our young women financial literacy skills starting in high school. If we combine the teaching of financial literacy skills with a program on how to prevent teen dating violence we may, over time, actually see a decline in domestic violence.

Nothing else is working. This must be tested.