Background aims: In collaboration with three Swedish county administrative boards and program-owners, a research team from Marie Cederschiöld University is evaluating the violence prevention program Very Important Person (VIP) which targets individuals with intellectual disabilities. The overall aim of the project is to gain knowledge of both program effects and implementation barriers and facilitators.

Methods: The team used a mixed methods approach with a) a qualitative part with assessment forms and interviews with participants (49), facilitators (16) and leaders (15), and b) a quantitative part with participant and facilitator questionnaires. Approximately 50 VIP participants answered questionnaires at course start, at the end of the course and 6 months post the VIP-course. The participant questionnaire contained three sets of questions: Health-Related Quality of Life: A translated and adapted version of HRQOL-IDD-16 from the University of Utah, College of Nursing, Experiences of Violence: A translated version of AAS-D (McFarlane et al., 2001), Self-Efficacy for Protection: A translation of the Safety Self-Efficacy Scale, Disability (Whelen et al., 2010). VIP leaders filled out a form on participants’ levels of disability, based on “The Functional Ability Question” from HRQOL-IDD-16.

Results: By the time of the conference, we will be able to present our final findings. Preliminary results from the questionnaire indicate promising trends. Interview findings show how VIP leads to higher self-awareness and self-esteem, increased levels of self-determination, and enhanced skills in expressing feelings and handling consent. The use of VIP requires resources, and larger municipalities appear to have a greater possibility to provide them.

Conclusions: Some promising results of VIP could be identified. However, prevention effects in general tend to show modest results and such initiatives need to target all levels in society to be successful. Therefore, we suggest an ecological approach in the continued development of violence prevention for people with intellectual disabilities.