In recent years, gender-based violence (GBV) has emerged as a global public health crisis with devastating impacts on individuals, families, and communities. Especially concerning is the prevalence of such violence among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Southeast Asia, a demographic uniquely vulnerable due to rapid physical, emotional, and social development. A groundbreaking systematic review recently published in the International Journal for Equity in Health rigorously analyzes the effectiveness of various GBV prevention programs targeting this age group across Southeast Asian countries. This comprehensive synthesis sheds light on the complexities involved in addressing GBV and offers critical insights into what interventions are most successful in reducing its incidence among adolescent populations.
Adolescents are at a pivotal stage of life where experiences shape lifelong trajectories in gender norms, relationship dynamics, and personal agency. Unfortunately, such young individuals in Southeast Asia face disproportionately high risks of experiencing or perpetrating gender-based violence, often exacerbated by entrenched patriarchal social structures, economic disparities, and limited access to supportive resources. This review navigates through decades of literature from diverse contexts—rural and urban, low- and middle-income settings—to present a nuanced picture of programmatic interventions. It distinctly categorizes prevention strategies, ranging from school-based educational curricula and community engagement initiatives to legislative reforms and empowerment programs focusing on both males and females.
One critical technical advancement in this review is its methodological rigor in evaluating efficacy through randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental studies, and longitudinal cohort research designs. Such scientific rigor ensures that conclusions are drawn based on robust evidence rather than anecdotal success stories. The authors systematically extracted data from studies published up to early 2025, applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure quality and relevance. These criteria included focusing exclusively on interventions that measured behavioral, attitudinal, or incidence outcomes related to GBV among adolescents within Southeast Asia, providing a clear geographic and demographic focus. The statistical analyses incorporated meta-analytic techniques, allowing for quantification of effect sizes across heterogeneous studies.
Findings from this systematic review indicate that multifaceted interventions that integrate educational, social, and structural components tend to produce the most substantial reductions in GBV prevalence. For instance, school-based programs that include comprehensive sex education combined with gender equity training not only enhance knowledge but also transform deeply ingrained gender attitudes. Moreover, community mobilization activities that engage local leaders, parents, and youth collectively foster an environment resistant to tolerating violence. Significantly, the review emphasizes the importance of cultural tailoring of these programs, highlighting that approaches successful in one country or ethnic group are not always directly transferable to others without modification.
An intriguing aspect covered is the role of male engagement in GBV prevention strategies. Traditional frameworks often focus on empowering girls and women, but this review reveals that sustainable change hinges upon including adolescent boys in educational and behavioral interventions. By challenging harmful masculine norms and promoting healthy masculinity, these programs contribute to reducing perpetration and fostering mutual respect in relationships. This gender-synchronized approach represents a paradigm shift in the field, moving beyond victim-centered perspectives to incorporate systemic transformation.
The review also sheds light on technological innovations employed to expand the reach and impact of prevention efforts. Digital platforms, mobile applications, and social media campaigns have recently gained traction as tools for GBV awareness and education among tech-savvy youth populations in urban Southeast Asia. While empirical evidence on the long-term effectiveness of such digital interventions is still emerging, early indicators suggest promising potential, especially in contexts where stigma or geographic isolation limit traditional program access.
Importantly, the authors discuss the persistent challenges in evaluating GBV prevention programs, including ethical considerations around adolescent participation, difficulties in measuring sensitive outcomes, and the heterogeneity of intervention components. They advocate for standardized outcome measures and longitudinal follow-ups to assess the durability of behavioral changes post-intervention. Additionally, they underscore the need for intersectional analyses considering how factors like socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and disability intersect with gender to influence both risk and resilience.
The systematic review identifies several policy implications vital for stakeholders at multiple levels. For national governments and policymakers, investing in comprehensive, evidence-based adolescent GBV prevention programs should be coupled with strengthening legal frameworks that protect youth rights and penalize perpetrators effectively. For civil society organizations and educators, the review suggests adopting participatory program designs that involve adolescents themselves in crafting interventions, ensuring relevance and empowerment. Furthermore, international donors and development agencies are called upon to support regionally coordinated efforts to build capacity and share best practices across Southeast Asia.
This extensive body of work offers a robust foundation for future research by pinpointing existing knowledge gaps. Among these, the authors highlight a paucity of data from rural and marginalized communities, where GBV dynamics may differ substantially from urban settings. They also identify the need for more comparative effectiveness research examining which program components yield the greatest impact in varying sociocultural contexts. Furthermore, the incorporation of biological and mental health outcomes in evaluation frameworks remains underexplored but critical for comprehending the full scope of GBV consequences.
Equally important is the review’s attention to adolescent agency and resilience. While much focus traditionally rests on vulnerability and victimization, the authors recognize the capacity of youth to mobilize themselves and their peers against GBV when empowered appropriately. This strengths-based perspective is manifest in programs fostering leadership skills, peer support networks, and creative expression as vehicles for social change. As such, prevention is conceptualized not only as harm reduction but also as cultivation of positive identities and healthy relationships.
In terms of global relevance, the insights from Southeast Asia are instructive for regions grappling with comparable challenges. The intersection of youthful demographics, rapid urbanization, and shifting gender norms renders the findings highly translatable. However, the review cautions against universalizing interventions without regard to local cultural and systemic nuances. Instead, it advocates for rigorous adaptation processes involving community consultations, pilot testing, and iterative refinement.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic backdrop, which has exacerbated vulnerabilities to GBV worldwide, the timeliness of this systematic review cannot be overstated. Disruptions to education, increased household stress, and social isolation have heightened risks, underscoring an urgent need to strengthen prevention infrastructures for adolescents. The review implicitly suggests that integrating GBV prevention into broader adolescent health and development programs can maximize reach and sustainability amid ongoing challenges.
Technologically, the growing integration of artificial intelligence and data analytics offers new frontiers for GBV prevention research and programming. Predictive modeling of risk factors, targeted messaging, and real-time monitoring of intervention outcomes represent cutting-edge possibilities. While these tools require careful ethical oversight, their potential to enhance precision and responsiveness in prevention cannot be ignored.
Synthesizing over a hundred studies, this systematic review represents a monumental scholarly effort to consolidate evidence, identify promising pathways, and galvanize coordinated action. It serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to ending gender-based violence among adolescents in Southeast Asia. Ultimately, the hope is that through informed, evidence-driven strategies, future generations will grow up in societies where equity, respect, and safety prevail free from the scourge of violence.
Subject of Research: Gender-based violence prevention among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Southeast Asia
Article Title: The effectiveness of gender-based violence prevention among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Southeast Asia: a systematic review
Article References:
Nguyen, H.H., To, K.G., Hoang, V.T.H. et al. The effectiveness of gender-based violence prevention among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Southeast Asia: a systematic review. Int J Equity Health 24, 222 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02514-2
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