School Based Program to Prevent Teen Dating Violence
Condition: Violence
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study is a school-based cluster randomized trial of the 7th grade version of Fourth R, a
      promising teen dating violence prevention program, with 24 ethnically diverse middle schools
      (12 intervention schools, 12 control schools) in one of the nation's largest school
      districts. Students (N = 3,375) will be the unit of analysis and studied prospectively
      (baseline, [post-intervention], and annually for 3 years) to determine the impact of the
      program by comparing students in intervention schools with those in control schools.
    

Detailed description: 
      The prevalence of teen dating violence (TDV), as well as the adverse mental, physical, and
      relationship health outcomes associated with it, underscores the need for effective TDV
      prevention programs, of which there are few.

      The study will evaluate a new 7th-grade version of Fourth R, which has been rewritten to be
      developmentally appropriate and correspond to national health standards for this younger age.
      The 7th-grade version of Fourth R is innovative because it emphasizes socio-emotional
      learning, includes lessons on mental health, and addresses technology and cyber TDV. These
      additional components will strengthen the core social-emotional competencies of youth,
      competencies that are critical for the creation of healthy relationships and avoidance of
      unhealthy ones. A TDV prevention program aimed at promoting healthy relationships at this
      developmentally important age holds tremendous promise.

      The primary aim is to determine whether Fourth R reduces students' TDV, as indexed by less
      perpetration and victimization of physical, sexual, and psychological TDV, relative to
      students in control schools.

      The secondary aims are to determine whether Fourth R, relative to control, 1) improves
      students' [relationship quality], emotional well-being, and increases their acquisition and
      use of healthy relationship skills, as indexed by improved problem-solving, communication,
      and conflict resolution skills; 2) ameliorates the modifiable cognitive and behavioral
      correlates associated with the perpetration and victimization of TDV, as indexed by fewer
      attitudes justifying dating violence, decreased substance use, risky sexual behavior,
      fighting, and bullying, increased school connectedness, improved academic performance, and
      decreased psychological symptoms; and [3) improves school climate as indexed by student,
      teacher, and staff reports of school environment as it relates to healthy relationships and
      TDV; and by reductions in school disciplinary actions related to violence, substance use, and
      academic failure]. Prespecified differences by gender and ethnicity will be examined, as well
      as the acquisition and utilization of various program components.
    

Intervention name(s): Fourth R
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Fourth R integrates the promotion of healthy relationship skills and prevention of teen dating violence into existing school curricula so that students receive regular course credit in health. Fourth R is grounded in social cognitive theory in which youth learn to formulate and choose behavior strategies, which translate into knowledge and practice in decision-making, non-aggressive conflict resolution skills, and self-efficacy..
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: adolescent behavior; intimate partner violence; youth risk behavior; violence prevention; teen dating violence