Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention Program for Early Adolescents: The Me & You Randomized Controlled Trial, 2014-2015

Am J Public Health. 2019 Oct;109(10):1419-1428. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305218. Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Abstract

Objectives. To test the efficacy of Me & You, a multilevel technology-enhanced adolescent dating violence (DV) intervention, in reducing DV perpetration and victimization among ethnic-minority early adolescent youths. We assessed secondary impact for specific DV types and psychosocial outcomes.Methods. We conducted a group-randomized controlled trial of 10 middle schools from a large urban school district in Southeast Texas in 2014 to 2015. We used multilevel regression modeling; the final analytic sample comprised 709 sixth-grade students followed for 1 year.Results. Among the total sample, odds of DV perpetration were lower among intervention students than among control students (adjusted odds ratio = 0.46; 95% confidence interval = 0.28, 0.74). Odds of DV victimization were not significantly different. There were significant effects on some specific DV types.Conclusions. Me & You is effective in reducing DV perpetration and decreasing some forms of DV victimization in early middle-school ethnic-minority students.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Child
  • Crime Victims / psychology
  • Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data*
  • Ethnicity*
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Intimate Partner Violence / prevention & control*
  • Intimate Partner Violence / psychology
  • Program Evaluation
  • School Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Texas
  • Urban Population