This study will test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to decrease adolescent boys' risk for dating violence involvement as well as attitudes supporting relationship aggression.
Over the past ten years dating violence (DV) has been recognized as a significant public health problem affecting adolescents. Emerging data suggest that boys and girls have different developmental trajectories toward violence and therefore prevention programs that target their unique pathways to DV are needed. Despite this need, there is a relative dearth of such gender-informed programs for early adolescent boys. This research project aims to prevent the emergence of DV perpetration/ victimization among boys by developing a web-based intervention that is informed by research on gender-specific pathways to violence and harnesses the influence of parents during the early adolescent years. Among boys, the perpetration of delinquency-related violence and attitudes supporting violence has been found to predict later perpetration of DV. Thus, gender-informed interventions designed to prevent DV in boys need to target skills that underlie violent behavior and attitudes. The goal of this study is to test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to prevent DV. A pilot trial was conducted to create and test the efficacy of the web-based intervention. Preliminary results suggested the program was effective in reducing dating-violence involvement. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) will test the efficacy of the intervention against an active control designed to provide health related information in a format similar to that of the intervention condition. 340 families (English or Spanish-speaking) will be randomly assigned to complete the intervention program or the health-promotion control program. All families will complete the program in an observed setting, to ensure fidelity to intervention dosing. Parents and adolescents will complete the program together and then complete assessments of aggressive and risk behaviors, parent-child communication, and emotion regulation at baseline, 3-month,6-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month follow-ups.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
180
Project STRONG is a 6-module web-based, dyadic intervention for middle school boys and their parents to complete. Its goal is primary prevention of adolescent dating violence by targeting parent-child communication and emotion regulation ability.
Health promotion is a 6 module web-based, health information program designed to provide health content similar to that provided in a middle school health class. This program is designed to mirror Project STRONG for time and delivery method.
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Change in dating violence perpetration and victimization from baseline to 24-months
The Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI), completed by dating teens, assesses verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual dating abuse perpetration and victimization with a current or recent dating partner. The CADRI has strong internal consistency (total α=.83) and 2-week test retest reliability, r=.68, p\<.01, as well as acceptable partner agreement (r=.64, p\<.01).
Time frame: At baseline, participants will report lifetime and past 6-month DV. For all other time points we will assess the past 6 months
Change in number of relationship from baseline to 24 months
The Relationship Inventory will obtain general information about adolescents' romantic relationships via 11 items assessing number of relationships, duration, time since last relationship, and number of relationships terminated or not initiated due to concerns about DV.
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months
Change in attitudes about relationship violence from baseline to 24 months
Attitudes about Relationship Violence Questionnaire (ARVQ; 39 items), completed by parents and teens, assesses knowledge, attitudes, and methods of dealing with DV (subscale αs = .75 -.87).
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in aggressive behavior from baseline to 24 months
The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)110 has 34 items that rate five types of aggression (e.g., physical, verbal) (α=.94, rtt =.80, total score).
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in digital abuse behaviors from baseline to 24 months
The Electronic Behaviors in Adolescent Relationships (EBAR) assesses digital forms of DV perpetration and victimization through 32 items
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Time frame: Baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup