NCT01672541

Brief Summary

The Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative intends to promote respectful, nonviolent dating relationships among adolescents living in high-risk, urban communities. CDC has developed a comprehensive approach to promoting respectful, non-violent relationships based on current evidence based and evidence informed strategies. This comprehensive approach includes: school-based curricula for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students; separate parent programs for parents of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students; a communications campaign involving social media and near-peer brand ambassadors; an online training about dating violence for educators; policy assessment at the school or community level; and development and validation of school and community level indicators of teen dating violence. Additionally, schools assigned to the comprehensive condition will also receive intensive training and technical assistance to support implementation of these components. Among 4 U.S. sites, 44 schools will be randomly assigned to implement either the Dating Matters comprehensive approach or the "standard of care" approach, which we are operationalizing as Safe Dates, a an evidence based student curriculum for 8th graders. We hypothesize that the comprehensive approach will be more effective than the standard approach at preventing the perpetration and victimization of teen dating violence over time and at promoting positive relationship behaviors over time.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
10,000

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Aug 2012

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

4 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

August 1, 2012

Completed
19 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

August 20, 2012

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 27, 2012

Completed
5.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 1, 2018

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 1, 2018

Completed
Last Updated

March 13, 2019

Status Verified

January 1, 2018

Enrollment Period

6 years

First QC Date

August 20, 2012

Last Update Submit

March 12, 2019

Conditions

Teen Dating ViolenceHealthy Dating Relationship Behaviors

Keywords

dating violencehealthy relationship behaviors

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Perpetration of dating violence

    Student self-report of perpetration of physical, sexual, and psychological violence and/or stalking against a dating partner

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Victimization of dating violence

    Student self- report of victimization of physical, sexual, and psychological violence and/or stalking from a dating partner

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Engagement in healthy relationship behaviors

    Student self-report of engagement in healthy relationship behaviors (i.e., good communication, conflict management, etc) with a dating partner

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

Secondary Outcomes (20)

  • Attitudes toward the acceptability of dating violence

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Knowledge about teen dating violence

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Attitudes toward gender roles

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Knowledge Regarding Available Resources

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Positive parenting behaviors

    2 times per year, for up to 6 years

  • +15 more secondary outcomes

Other Outcomes (10)

  • Demographic variables

    2 times per year for up to 6 years

  • Experience delivering prevention programs

    2 times per year first year, 1 time per year for 3 more years

  • Religiosity

    2 times per year for up to 3 years

  • +7 more other outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Dating Matters Comprehensive Approach

EXPERIMENTAL

Schools randomly assigned to the comprehensive approach will: implement 6th, 7th, and 8th grade student curricula in English to all the students in these grades; offer parent programs for parents of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders;implement a communications campaign involving brand ambassadors, a text message campaign, and social media campaign;encourage all educators to take an online training about teen dating violence for educators;be supported in assessing and informing local school or community policies relevant to teen dating violence.

Behavioral: Dating Matters Comprehensive Approach

Standard of Care Safe Dates Approach

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Schools randomly assigned to the standard of care approach will implement Safe Dates as it is published in their schools 8th grade classes.

Behavioral: Standard of Care Safe Dates Approach

Interventions

Dating Matters Comprehensive ApproachBEHAVIORAL

The Dating Matters Comprehensive Approach includes: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Student Curricula; Parent Programs for parents of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders; A communications campaign involving brand ambassadors, a text message campaign, and social media campaign; An online training about teen dating violence for educators; Developmental component: A guidance document for sites on assessing and informing local policies relevant to teen dating violence for comprehensive schools (likely to be substantial cross and within site variation on this component)

Dating Matters Comprehensive Approach
Standard of Care Safe Dates ApproachBEHAVIORAL

Safe Dates curriculum for 8th grade students

Standard of Care Safe Dates Approach

Eligibility Criteria

Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Students, parents, and educators at the schools identified for participation in the study

You may not qualify if:

  • Students and educators must be able to participate in interventions and complete surveys in English: Parents must be able to participate in interventions and complete surveys in English or Spanish. Those not able to do this due to languages spoken will be excluded.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (4)

Alameda County Public Health Department

Oakland, California, United States

Location

Broward County Health Department

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Location

Chicago Department of Public Health

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Location

Baltimore City Health Department

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Location

Related Publications (6)

  • Niolon PH, Estefan LF, DeGue S, Le VD, Tracy AJ, Ray C, Bontempo D, Little TD, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Latzman N, Taylor B, Tharp A. High School Follow-Up of the Dating Matters(R) RCT: Effects on Teen Dating Violence and Relationship Behaviors. Prev Sci. 2024 May;25(4):603-615. doi: 10.1007/s11121-024-01648-z. Epub 2024 Mar 8.

    PMID: 38459353DERIVED

  • Espelage DL, Rulison KL, Ingram KM, Valido A, Schmeelk-Cone K, Wyman PA. Social Networks of Adolescent Sexual Violence Perpetrators: Peer Friendship and Trusted Adult Characteristics. Prev Sci. 2022 Jan;23(1):154-166. doi: 10.1007/s11121-021-01296-7. Epub 2021 Sep 3.

    PMID: 34480329DERIVED

  • DeGue S, Niolon PH, Estefan LF, Tracy AJ, Le VD, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Little TD, Latzman NE, Tharp A, Lang KM, Taylor B. Effects of Dating Matters(R) on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Outcomes among Middle School Youth: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Prev Sci. 2021 Feb;22(2):175-185. doi: 10.1007/s11121-020-01152-0.

    PMID: 32844328DERIVED

  • Estefan LF, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Niolon PH, Le VD, Tracy AJ, Little TD, DeGue S, Latzman NE, Tharp A, Lang KM, McIntosh WL. Effects of the Dating Matters(R) Comprehensive Prevention Model on Health- and Delinquency-Related Risk Behaviors in Middle School Youth: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Prev Sci. 2021 Feb;22(2):163-174. doi: 10.1007/s11121-020-01114-6.

    PMID: 32242288DERIVED

  • Vivolo-Kantor AM, Niolon PH, Estefan LF, Le VD, Tracy AJ, Latzman NE, Little TD, Lang KM, DeGue S, Tharp AT. Middle School Effects of the Dating Matters(R) Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model on Physical Violence, Bullying, and Cyberbullying: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Prev Sci. 2021 Feb;22(2):151-161. doi: 10.1007/s11121-019-01071-9.

    PMID: 31833020DERIVED

  • Niolon PH, Vivolo-Kantor AM, Tracy AJ, Latzman NE, Little TD, DeGue S, Lang KM, Estefan LF, Ghazarian SR, McIntosh WLK, Taylor B, Johnson LL, Kuoh H, Burton T, Fortson B, Mumford EA, Nelson SC, Joseph H, Valle LA, Tharp AT. An RCT of Dating Matters: Effects on Teen Dating Violence and Relationship Behaviors. Am J Prev Med. 2019 Jul;57(1):13-23. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.02.022. Epub 2019 May 22.

    PMID: 31128957DERIVED

Study Officials

  • Phyllis H Niolon, Ph.D.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
FED
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

August 20, 2012

First Posted

August 27, 2012

Study Start

August 1, 2012

Primary Completion

August 1, 2018

Study Completion

August 1, 2018

Last Updated

March 13, 2019

Record last verified: 2018-01

Locations

US(4)