Virtual Safe Dates for Domestic Violence

Overseen By Marie Stoner, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: RTI International

Disqualifiers: Other condition, Violence prevention program, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

Duration: 10 weeks

80 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a virtual program called Virtual Safe Dates for Young Parents, which aims to help young parents prevent intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants will join virtual sessions to learn about healthy relationships or participate in a health education program focused on physical activity and nutrition. The trial aims to determine if virtual delivery is feasible and whether participants in the IPV program experience fewer incidents of violence. Young parents or partners of pregnant individuals who regularly see their child and speak English might be suitable candidates. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative solutions for preventing IPV among young parents.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on virtual sessions and surveys, so it's unlikely that your medications would be affected.

What prior data suggests that the virtual delivery of Safe Dates for Young Parents is safe?

Research has shown that virtual programs like Safe Dates for Young Parents are generally safe for participants. These programs aim to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) among young parents by promoting healthy relationships. Studies indicate that similar programs are well-received, with no reports of harm or negative effects. The primary purpose is educational, not medical treatment, so the risk of negative events remains very low. Participants typically find these sessions helpful and supportive, with no reported problems. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Virtual Safe Dates program because it offers a fresh approach to preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) among young parents. Unlike traditional interventions that might focus on face-to-face counseling or educational sessions, this program is delivered virtually via Zoom, making it more accessible and convenient for busy young parents. The program's structure, consisting of 10 interactive modules led by a trained facilitator, emphasizes healthy relationships in a flexible, digital format. This innovative delivery method could potentially engage participants more effectively and provide support in real-time, which is crucial for fostering lasting behavioral changes and preventing IPV.

What evidence suggests that the Virtual Safe Dates for Young Parents program is effective for preventing intimate partner violence?

Research has shown that programs like Virtual Safe Dates for Young Parents, which participants in this trial may receive, can help reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) among teens and young adults. Studies have found that these programs can lower both physical and sexual violence. By focusing on teaching healthy relationship skills, they decrease the risk of future dating violence. Evidence also suggests that offering these programs online can be as effective as in-person sessions, making participation more accessible. Overall, data supports that Virtual Safe Dates can positively affect the well-being of young parents and their children. ^{2 3 4 5 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adolescents and young adults who are pregnant or parenting. It's designed to help them avoid intimate partner violence (IPV) by participating in virtual sessions. The study compares a program called Safe Dates for Young Parents (SDYP) with a health education program.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 18 years old or older.

Currently pregnant, partner of a pregnant person, or parenting a child (i.e., have contact with child at least once per week)

Able to speak and read English

Exclusion Criteria

Has any other condition that, in the opinion of the PI or their designee, would preclude informed consent, make study participation unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives

Currently participating or will be participating in a violence prevention education program in the next 3 months

Previously participated in the Empowering Young Parents study

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in the Safe Dates for Young Parents (SDYP) program or HealthSmart program, consisting of 10 virtual sessions focused on IPV prevention or health education.

10 weeks

10 virtual sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for IPV outcomes and program effectiveness through surveys conducted 3 to 6 months after baseline.

3-6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Virtual Safe Dates for Young Parents

Trial Overview The trial tests the SDYP, an IPV prevention program delivered virtually over 10 sessions, against a control group receiving health education on physical activity and nutrition. Researchers want to know if SDYP can be feasibly implemented online and if it reduces IPV incidents compared to the control.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Virtual Safe Dates for Young Parents Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants assigned to the intervention group will be offered the Safe Dates for Young Parents (SDYP) program activities focused on healthy relationships and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention. This program will consist of 10 modules, with sessions that are 60-90 minutes each. The intervention will be done with groups via zoom and will be led by a trained facilitator.

Group II: HealthSmart Active Control 1 Intervention

We will use an equal attention control condition where control group participants will be offered lessons on physical activity and nutrition from the HealthSmart digital high school curriculum. To achieve consistent dosage with SDYP, ten lessons will be chosen from the curriculum. This program will not provide education about IPV or healthy relationships content that composes the SDYP intervention. The intervention will be done with groups via zoom and will be led by a trained facilitator.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

RTI International

Lead Sponsor

Trials

201

Recruited

942,000+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7888980/

A Review of Parent- and Family-based Prevention Efforts ... Prevention efforts for adolescent dating violence (ADV) have largely focused on adolescent-based interventions with little emphasis on parent- and ...

2. researchprotocols.org researchprotocols.org/2022/8/e35487/

Web-Based Delivery of a Family-Based Dating Violence ... Background: Children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) between caregivers are at an increased risk of becoming involved in dating ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178923000800

Dating violence prevention programs for at-risk adolescents When types of DV were analyzed separately, the results showed decreases in physical and sexual violence perpetration and physical DV victimization, but not ...

4. formative.jmir.org formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e49718

Web-Based Delivery of a Family-Based Dating Abuse ... Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that exposure to caregiver intimate partner violence (IPV) can have cascading negative ...

5. cdc.gov cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/about-teen-dating-violence.html

Teen Dating Violence | Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Dating violence can take place in person, online, or through technology. It is a type of intimate partner violence that can include the following types of ...

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07226401

NCT07226401 | Virtual Village for Young Parents As many as two-thirds of teens who are pregnant or parenting have been the victims or perpetrators of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) ...