Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violence

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a racial-, gender-, and economic-justice focused youth violence prevention program called Forging Hopeful Futures with youth ages 14-19.

Detailed Description
-----------------
This community-partnered cluster randomized trial in 16 neighborhoods impacted by structural inequities and high levels of community violence in Pittsburgh, PA and urban Washington D.C. and Maryland metro areas will evaluate effectiveness of Forging Hopeful Futures with youth ages 14-19. Forging Hopeful Futures combines economic justice content from job readiness training, racial and gender justice content from gender-transformative programming, and leadership building as a novel multi-level violence prevention intervention.

Official Title
-----------------
Forging Hopeful Futures: A Racial and Gender-Justice Program to Reduce Youth Violence

Conditions
-----------------
Violence in Adolescence, Racism, Adolescent Behavior, Coping Skills, Communication, Social, Communication, Personal, Violence, Sexual, Violence, Non-accidental, Violence, Physical, Violence, Gender-Based

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: Forging Hopeful Futures
* Behavioral: Wellness Check-ins


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be ages 14-19 (inclusive) Participants must speak English Participants must live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities Participants must be able to provide follow up contact information Exclusion Criteria: Not ages 14-19 (inclusive) Do not speak English Do not live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities Unable to provide follow up contact information

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 14 Years
Maximum Age: 19 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: This community-partnered cluster-randomized study will examine the effectiveness of a racial, gender, and economic justice focused youth violence prevention program called Forging Hopeful Futures among youth ages 14-19.The study will be located in 16 neighborhoods with concentrated disadvantage ('clusters') across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and urban Washington D.C. and Maryland metro areas randomized either to receive the Forging Hopeful Futures program (i.e., intervention neighborhood, n=8) or wellness check-ins (i.e. control neighborhood, n=8).
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Forging Hopeful Futures<br>Forging Hopeful Futures uses a group discussion format with activities that explore race, gender, class, identity, relationships, and multiple forms of violence. Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 14-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically examine structural forces that perpetuate racial and gender injustice, develop leadership skills in promoting gender equitable relationship norms, non-violent practices, and upstander skills, and enhance economic justice through job skills and employment opportunities. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 6 to 12 week period, Forging Hopeful Futures combines racial, gender, and economic justice content with leadership development and workforce development opportunities. | Behavioral: Forging Hopeful Futures<br>* Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 14-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically examine structural forces that perpetuate racial and gender injustice, develop leadership skills in promoting gender equitable relationship norms, non-violent practices, and upstander skills, and enhance economic justice through job skills and employment opportunities. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 6 to 12 week period, Forging Hopeful Futures combines racial, gender, and economic justice content with leadership development and workforce development opportunities.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Wellness Check-ins<br>Youth in neighborhoods randomized to the control group will receive individual wellness checks. This will occur through a strengths-based telephone conversation focused on wellness resources. Youth will be provided with tailored resources based on needs identified during the call. Youth will be offered the option for additional phone check-ins to coordinate access to community resources and connection to individualized behavioral health supports if desired. | Behavioral: Wellness Check-ins<br>* Individual wellness checks will occur through a strengths-based telephone conversation focused on wellness resources. Youth will be provided with tailored resources based on needs identified during the call. Youth will be offered the option for additional phone check-ins to coordinate access to community resources and connection to individualized behavioral health supports if desired.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in recent violence perpetration at 3 months | The primary outcome will be past 3-month youth violence perpetration. This will be measured by self-report on 3 items adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, using a past-3 month reporting interval: 1) physical fighting (How many times were you in a physical fight?), 2) threatening someone with a weapon (How many times have you threatened someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?), and 3) injuring someone with a weapon (How many times have you injured someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?). Each item will be assessed with 8 frequency response categories from 0 times to 12 or more times. A summary score will capture the past 3-month incidence of all 3 behaviors (possible range: 0- 21;lower score indicates better outcome) | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in recent violence perpetration at 6 months | This will be measured using the same 3 items outlined in the primary outcome, but assessed as a change from baseline to 6 months after program conclusion. This includes self-report on 3 items adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, using a past-3 month reporting interval: 1) physical fighting (How many times were you in a physical fight?), 2) threatening someone with a weapon (How many times have you threatened someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?), and 3) injuring someone with a weapon (How many times have you injured someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?). Each item will be assessed with 8 frequency response categories from 0 times to 12 or more times. A summary score will capture the past 3-month incidence of all 3 behaviors (possible range: 0- 21;lower score indicates better outcome) | At baseline and six months after program conclusion | 
| Change in relationship abuse at 3 months | 10 abusive behavior items, modified from Conflict Tactics Scale-2, assess for perpetration against dating partners or towards peers. Summary score of any recent use of violence in the past 3 months (physical, sexual and emotional relationship abuse) calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (possible range: 0-10; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in sexual violence perpetration at 3 months | 4 sexual violence perpetration items assess recent sexual violence perpetration (any/none). Summary score of any recent sexual violence perpetration in the past 3 months, calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (possible range: 0-4; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in cyber dating abuse and peer abuse | 8 items assess using technology to perpetrate abuse against a dating partner or peers. Summary score of any recent use of technology to perpetrate abuse against a dating partner or peers in the past 3 months, calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (possible range: 0-8; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in bullying perpetration | 6 items to indicate frequency of bullying perpetration on 4-point frequency scale. Mean score of any recent bullying perpetration in the past 3 months, calculated as a mean score across the 6 items (possible range: 0-3; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in cyberbullying perpetration | 4-item scale adapted from a cyberbullying perpetration scale, assessing perpetration frequency on a 4-point frequency scale. Mean score of recent cyberbullying perpetration in the past 3 months, calculated as a mean across the 4 items (possible range:0-3; lower score indicated better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in weapon carrying | 1 item adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey asking about frequency of carrying a weapon in the past 30 days (measured on a 5-point frequency scale from 0 days to 6 or more days; possible range: 0-4; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in homophobic teasing | 5-item scale with participants reporting how often they have perpetrated listed behaviors in the past 3 months (each item measured on a 6-point frequency scale from 0 times to 7 or more times). Mean score of recent homophobic teasing, calculated as a mean across the 5 items (possible range: 0-5; lower score indicates better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion | 
| Change in sexual harassment | 5 items assess frequency of perpetrating sexual harassing behaviors in the past 3 months, assessing perpetration frequency on a 5-point frequency scale. Mean score of recent sexual harassment perpetration in the past 3 months, calculated as a mean across the 5 items (possible range:0-4; lower score indicated better outcome). | At baseline and three months after program conclusion |