Dating Violence, HIV Infections
Conditions
Keywords
HIV Prevention, Dating Violence, Females, Romantic relationships, Adolescents, Sexuality, Underserved youth
Brief summary
This project is designed to develop and test a group-based preventive intervention to reduce dating violence and sexual risk behavior among adolescent females with prior dating violence exposure.
Detailed description
A growing body of research reveals that dating violence (DV) plays a significant role in adolescent girls' HIV risk. Dating violence has been associated with less condom use, younger age at first intercourse, having multiple sex partners and alcohol use prior to sexual encounters. Thus, prevention strategies that address dating violence and HIV risk may hold promise for reducing sexual risk behavior among a particularly at-risk population. In this study, a cognitive-behaviorally based intervention named Skills to Manage Aggression in Relationships for Teens (Date S.M.A.R.T.) is being developed and compared to a psychoeducational program for dating violence and HIV prevention. The program is being implemented with a sample of underserved youth, as economic disadvantage and minority status have been found to be related to increased rates of adolescent dating violence. A primary focus of the intervention is to address mental health problems (i.e. psychological distress and behavioral dysregulation) that underlie the development and maintenance of both dating violence and sexual risk behavior among adolescent girls.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCognitive-Behavioral Dating Violence and HIV Prevention Group
Six, two-hour weekly sessions and one 2-hour booster session 6 weeks later with adolescent females
BEHAVIORALPsycho-educational Dating Violence and HIV prevention group
Knowledge based intervention matched for time and attention to skills arm
Sponsors
Rhode Island Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
15 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adolescent must be English-speaking * Adolescent must have a lifetime history of physical dating violence perpetration or victimization
Exclusion criteria
* Current enrollment in an intervention for dating violence or HIV prevention
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in number (#) of unprotected sex acts | Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in number of acts of dating violence perpetration and victimization | Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactChristie J. Rizzo, Ph.D.
Outcome results
None listed