A Brief Intervention to Prevent Adolescent Dating Aggression Perpetration
| Status: | Not yet recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 16 - 18 |
| Updated: | 4/2/2016 |
| Start Date: | March 2014 |
| End Date: | December 2016 |
| Contact: | Emily F Rothman, MS, ScD |
| Email: | erothman@bu.edu |
The proposed study is a test of the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief
motivational interview style intervention. The intervention will take place in the pediatric
emergency department of the Boston University Medical Center by a trained interventionist
and will follow an intervention manual developed by a team of dating abuse and brief
intervention experts. The study will involve two randomized groups of youth age 16-18: one
group will receive the intervention and the other will not. The study will compare changes
in data from baseline to 3- and 6-month follow-up for those in both groups. Outcomes
including dating abused related knowledge, attitudes about the use of violence to resolve
conflict, and dating abuse behavior (perpetration and/or victimization) will be assessed.
The hypothesis of this study is that youth who receive the intervention will show
improvements in dating abuse related knowledge, attitudes and behavior that are maintained
for 6 months, while those in the control group will show no similar change.
motivational interview style intervention. The intervention will take place in the pediatric
emergency department of the Boston University Medical Center by a trained interventionist
and will follow an intervention manual developed by a team of dating abuse and brief
intervention experts. The study will involve two randomized groups of youth age 16-18: one
group will receive the intervention and the other will not. The study will compare changes
in data from baseline to 3- and 6-month follow-up for those in both groups. Outcomes
including dating abused related knowledge, attitudes about the use of violence to resolve
conflict, and dating abuse behavior (perpetration and/or victimization) will be assessed.
The hypothesis of this study is that youth who receive the intervention will show
improvements in dating abuse related knowledge, attitudes and behavior that are maintained
for 6 months, while those in the control group will show no similar change.
Emergency departments offer a unique setting through which we can reach adolescents who have
perpetrated Adolescent Dating Aggression (ADA). The Project READY (Reducing Aggression in
Dating Relationships for Youth) brief intervention manual and training was developed by Dr.
Emily Rothman, who is a former shelter worker, batterer intervention counselor, and dating
violence expert, with input from research experts in brief intervention, an expert in
adolescent batterer intervention, psychologists, low-income youth of color from the Start
Strong Initiative, and others, with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The READY intervention intercepts youth who utilize an urban emergency department for
non-acute health care needs (e.g., cuts, sprains), provides them with tailored feedback
about their relationship behavior, and uses motivational interviewing techniques and
prepared worksheets to move them forward on a readiness-to-change continuum towards
non-violent and respectful relationship behavior. For example, after being provided with
information about acts considered unhealthy in a relationship, a participant is asked to
generate a list of "pros and cons" about what he or she does to solve conflicts with
partners, brainstorm alternatives that he or she would use, list reasons why the
alternatives might not work in the moment, and troubleshoot those potential problems.
Participants are then offered a menu of referrals and invited to select those that they
would use (e.g., free mental health and substance abuse counseling, sexual health testing,
gang prevention resources).
The proposed randomized controlled trial (RCT) research study will build upon our completed
small-scale feasibility pilot project (N=27), which was conducted in 2012- 13. For the
proposed study, we will recruit a sample large enough (N=334 at baseline) to evaluate
whether the intervention improves ADA-related knowledge, positively changes ADA-related
attitudes and behavioral intentions, and reduces self-reported perpetration behavior after
3- and 6-month follow-up periods. The study will enroll youth ages 16-18 years old. Notably,
the setting for this intervention test will be an urban pediatric emergency department that
primarily serves low income youth.
perpetrated Adolescent Dating Aggression (ADA). The Project READY (Reducing Aggression in
Dating Relationships for Youth) brief intervention manual and training was developed by Dr.
Emily Rothman, who is a former shelter worker, batterer intervention counselor, and dating
violence expert, with input from research experts in brief intervention, an expert in
adolescent batterer intervention, psychologists, low-income youth of color from the Start
Strong Initiative, and others, with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The READY intervention intercepts youth who utilize an urban emergency department for
non-acute health care needs (e.g., cuts, sprains), provides them with tailored feedback
about their relationship behavior, and uses motivational interviewing techniques and
prepared worksheets to move them forward on a readiness-to-change continuum towards
non-violent and respectful relationship behavior. For example, after being provided with
information about acts considered unhealthy in a relationship, a participant is asked to
generate a list of "pros and cons" about what he or she does to solve conflicts with
partners, brainstorm alternatives that he or she would use, list reasons why the
alternatives might not work in the moment, and troubleshoot those potential problems.
Participants are then offered a menu of referrals and invited to select those that they
would use (e.g., free mental health and substance abuse counseling, sexual health testing,
gang prevention resources).
The proposed randomized controlled trial (RCT) research study will build upon our completed
small-scale feasibility pilot project (N=27), which was conducted in 2012- 13. For the
proposed study, we will recruit a sample large enough (N=334 at baseline) to evaluate
whether the intervention improves ADA-related knowledge, positively changes ADA-related
attitudes and behavioral intentions, and reduces self-reported perpetration behavior after
3- and 6-month follow-up periods. The study will enroll youth ages 16-18 years old. Notably,
the setting for this intervention test will be an urban pediatric emergency department that
primarily serves low income youth.
Inclusion Criteria:
- must be a patient of the Pediatric Emergency Department at the Boston University
Medical Center
- must be 16-18 years old
- have used at least one form of physical or sexual aggression against a dating or
sexual partner in the past three months
- English-speaking
Exclusion Criteria:
- patient's reason for visit to the Pediatric Emergency Department is an acute mental
health problem
- patient is a prisoner or juvenile detainee
- patient is determined to be a potentially lethal dating abuse offender based on
Campbell's Lethality Checklist
- patient has cognitive or psychiatric limitations that render him/her unable to
complete the eligibility form independently
- currently attending a batterer intervention program
- receiving care for violent trauma victimization
- appears intoxicated or high on drugs at the time of eligibility screening, or has
informed medical staff that they are
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