BROTHERS – Violence Prevention among (Refugee) Youth

The BROTHERS project of Bonveno Göttingen gGmbH offers free workshops and group formats in Lower Saxony for violence prevention and the promotion of democracy targeting young male individuals (14–25 years). In free boys' groups, experienced peer educators (so-called Brothers) as well as full-time team leaders (qualified educators, social workers) train the participants using an evidence-based training concept. Through role plays, discussion rounds, and peer-to-peer approaches, traditional notions of masculinity and honor are reflected upon, boundaries and courses of action in cases of boundary violations are developed, and democratic and gender-equitable values are explored. An independent impact evaluation by Camino gGmbH confirms the method’s significant reduction of violence-legitimizing beliefs and strengthening of democratic identification.

The target group consists of young men aged 14 to 25 years (students in grades 7 and 8, (refugee) youth) who attend at least 75% of the training sessions and are willing to be trained as peer educators. Eligible costs include personnel, travel, and materials; participation in the agreed workshop dates and a valid school certificate for grades 7–8 are prerequisites. Youth work professionals can additionally participate in compact training sessions to implement the developed methods in practice. Project applications can be submitted at any time.