Urban crime and violence is one of the most costly and divisive issues facing cities around the world. Short-term studies have demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapeutic approach to improving a wide range of harmful beliefs and behaviors, is an effective way to reduce violence and criminality among adolescents and young adults. To understand the long-term effectiveness of CBT among adults, researchers evaluated the impact of a short-term CBT program and the distribution of unconditional cash transfers on the behavior of high-risk young men in Liberia. Results demonstrated that CBT reduced criminal behavior among participants both in the short run, one year following the intervention, and the long run, ten years later. At both intervals, these results were greater for participants who received both CBT and cash grants, but cash grants alone had no impact.

Addressing high rates of gender-based violence experienced by girls is a policy goal in many developing countries, in particular in post-conflict settings such as Liberia where evidence suggests women commonly experience physical and/or sexual violence. IPA partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Population Council and the World Bank’s Development Research Group to evaluate the Girl Empower program in Liberia. The program was designed to help girls in emergency situations make healthy life choices, reduce their risk of sexual abuse, and improve school attendance rates. Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure the overall impact of the program and the effectiveness of adding a small incentive payment to encourage participation. Results revealed that Girl Empower led to sustained improvements in several important domains, including child marriage and sexual and reproductive health, but did not reduce sexual violence among the participants.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread global problem, but little is known about how to reduce it in low-income countries, especially with programs that focus on men. Researchers worked with IPA, the Airbel Center at the International Rescue Committee, and the Behavioral Insights Team to design a text message-based behavioral intervention, the Modern Man Challenge, that aims to reduce IPV by promoting behavior change among men. The research team is now conducting a small exploratory clustered-randomized evaluation in Monrovia, Liberia to explore potential impact avenues of Modern Man Challenge on IPV.