A Brief Intervention

Boston University

Status

Completed

Conditions

Dating Violence

Dating Abuse

Treatments

Behavioral: Brief, motivational interview and one booster session

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT01632176

K01AA017630 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

5K01AA017630-04

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) study is a small scale test of the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief motivational interview-style intervention. The intervention took place in the pediatric emergency departments by a trained interventionist and will followed an intervention algorithm developed by a team of dating abuse and brief intervention experts. The research design is as follows: the investigators will randomize youth ages 12-19 years old to one of two groups: one group who receives the intervention (N=~18), and the other which does not (N=~18). The investigators compared changes in outcomes from baseline to 1-month follow-up for those in both groups. The investigators looked at outcomes including dating abuse-related knowledge, attitudes about the use of violence to resolve conflict, and dating abuse behavior (perpetration and/or victimization).

Statement of study hypothesis: Youth who receive the intervention will show improvements in dating abuse-related knowledge, attitudes and behavior that are maintained for 1 month, while those in the comparison group will show no similar change.

Enrollment

36 patients

Sex

All

Ages

15 to 19 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

15-19 years old
English-speaking
Have used at least one form of physical or sexual aggression against a dating or sexual partner in the past three months

Exclusion criteria

Patient's reason for ED visit is an acute mental health problem (e.g., suicidal ideation or attempt, severe anxiety attack)
Patient is a prisoner
Patient is determined to be potentially lethal
Patient attends batterer intervention classes