Development of Community Mentors for the Prevention and Resolution of Domestic Violence through Buddhist Integration
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Abstract
This mixed-methods research aimed to: 1) develop a community mentor curriculum for the prevention and resolution of domestic violence through Buddhist integration, and 2) evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and present a comprehensive manual. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I involved a quantitative survey of 434 participants in Bangkok, as well as qualitative in-depth interviews with 38 key informants, to inform the design of the curriculum. Phase II involved the curriculum implementation with 34 target participants. Data were analyzed using mean ( ), standard deviation (S.D.), and t-test.
The results revealed that: 1) Domestic violence in urban settings is often hidden, driven by economic factors, drug abuse, and patriarchal values, which led to the development of the “Safe Family Community Mentor Curriculum”, which integrates the Buddhist principles of Trisikkha (The Threefold Training) and Gharavasa-dhamma 4 (Virtues for Laypeople) with modern skills. The curriculum focuses on five competencies: surveillance, counseling, activity organizing, referral coordination, and team management. It comprises 43 hours of active learning modules and 21 days of field practice, enabling mentors to ignite and drive "peace zones" within the community. 2) Post-training evaluation results showed a statistically significant increase in overall competencies (t = 4.49, p < .05). The highest-rated competency was positive empowering counseling ( = 4.26, S.D. = 0.50). The curriculum achieved an efficiency of E1/E2 = 81.10/88.50, exceeding the required criteria.
The study presented a body of knowledge entitled “The 5 Sciences of Safe Family Community Mentors.” The emerging model, the “SAFE Family Community Mentor Model,” consists of S: Spiritual Transformation, A: Active Skillset, F: Field Synergy, and E: Ecosystem of Care. This model serves as a vital mechanism for fostering sustainable family and community peace.
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