Forging Hopeful Futures to Reduce Youth Violence

NCT05743478 | Active Not Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY22080150R01CE003502
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 720
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a racial-, gender-, and economic-justice focused youth violence prevention program called Forging Hopeful Futures with youth ages 13-19.

Conditions

Violence in Adolescence; Racism; Adolescent Behavior; Coping Skills; Communication, Social; Communication, Personal; Violence, Sexual; Violence, Non-accidental; Violence, Physical; Violence, Gender-Based

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in recent violence perpetration at 3 months

  The primary outcome will be past 3-month youth violence perpetration. This will be measured by self-report on 3 items adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, using a past-3 month reporting interval: 1) physical fighting ("How many times were you in a physical fight?"), 2) threatening someone with a weapon ("How many times have you threatened someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?"), and 3) injuring someone with a weapon ("How many times have you injured someone with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?"). Each item will be assessed with 8 frequency response categories from 0 times to 12 or more times. A summary score will capture the past 3-month incidence of all 3 behaviors (possible range: 0- 21;lower score indicates better outcome)

  At baseline and three months after program conclusion

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Change in recent violence perpetration at 6 months

  At baseline and six months after program conclusion

• Change in relationship abuse at 3 months

  At baseline and three months after program conclusion

• Change in sexual violence perpetration at 3 months

  At baseline and three months after program conclusion

• Change in cyber dating abuse and peer abuse

  At baseline and three months after program conclusion

• Change in bullying perpetration

  At baseline and three months after program conclusion

Study Arms (2)

Forging Hopeful Futures

EXPERIMENTAL

Forging Hopeful Futures uses a group discussion format with activities that explore race, gender, class, identity, relationships, and multiple forms of violence. Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 13-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically examine structural forces that perpetuate racial and gender injustice, develop leadership skills in promoting gender equitable relationship norms, non-violent practices, and upstander skills, and enhance economic justice through job skills and employment opportunities. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 6 to 12 week period, Forging Hopeful Futures combines racial, gender, and economic justice content with leadership development and workforce development opportunities.

Behavioral: Forging Hopeful Futures

Wellness Check-ins

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Youth in neighborhoods randomized to the control group will receive individual wellness checks. This will occur through a strengths-based telephone conversation focused on wellness resources. Youth will be provided with tailored resources based on needs identified during the call. Youth will be offered the option for additional phone check-ins to coordinate access to community resources and connection to individualized behavioral health supports if desired.

Behavioral: Wellness Check-ins

Interventions

Forging Hopeful Futures BEHAVIORAL

Forging Hopeful Futures is a 12 session curriculum for youth ages 13-19 that uses strengths-based and healing-centered approaches to critically examine structural forces that perpetuate racial and gender injustice, develop leadership skills in promoting gender equitable relationship norms, non-violent practices, and upstander skills, and enhance economic justice through job skills and employment opportunities. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 6 to 12 week period, Forging Hopeful Futures combines racial, gender, and economic justice content with leadership development and workforce development opportunities.

Forging Hopeful Futures

Wellness Check-ins BEHAVIORAL

Individual wellness checks will occur through a strengths-based telephone conversation focused on wellness resources. Youth will be provided with tailored resources based on needs identified during the call. Youth will be offered the option for additional phone check-ins to coordinate access to community resources and connection to individualized behavioral health supports if desired.

Wellness Check-ins

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 19 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must be ages 13-19 (inclusive)
• Participants must speak English
• Participants must live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities
• Participants must be able to provide follow up contact information

You may not qualify if:

• Not ages 13 -19 (inclusive)
• Do not speak English
• Do not live in the participating neighborhoods, attend schools in the participating neighborhoods, or use participating facilities
• Unable to provide follow up contact information

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead
• Population Council: collaborator
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Population Council

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20008, United States

Location

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Racism; Adolescent Behavior; Communication; Coitus

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Prejudice; Social Behavior; Behavior; Social Discrimination; Sexual Behavior

Study Officials

• Alison Culyba, MD PhD MPH

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Model Details: This community-partnered cluster-randomized study will examine the effectiveness of a racial, gender, and economic justice focused youth violence prevention program called Forging Hopeful Futures among youth ages 13-19.The study will be located in 16 neighborhoods with concentrated disadvantage ('clusters') across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and urban Washington D.C. and Maryland metro areas randomized either to receive the "Forging Hopeful Futures" program (i.e., intervention neighborhood, n=8) or wellness check-ins (i.e. control neighborhood, n=8).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 13, 2023
• First Posted: February 24, 2023
• Study Start: July 10, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2026
• Last Updated: November 5, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: We will adhere to data sharing timelines, including sharing data (restricted use) within 30 months after the end of data collection.
• Access Criteria: We will make the data available only to selected researchers who apply for access. The application must document a legitimate public health use or research question for the data, and the applicant must sign a pledge to keep all data private and to make no attempt to identify individual subjects. This use of the data is consistent with the planned language of the voluntary consent for participation agreed and in accordance with IRB policy.

Locations

US (2)