Adolescent Dating ViolenceNCT04312867
Dating Violence Prevention Program Focusing on Middle School Boys
A study testing Project STRONG and Health Promotion in people with Adolescent Dating Violence, run by Rhode Island Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to decrease adolescent boys' risk for dating violence involvement as well as attitudes supporting relationship aggression. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 15 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Adolescent Dating Violence
- What is being tested?
- Project STRONG and Health Promotion
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2019to 31 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 12 to 15 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- adolescent is between 12 and 15 years old
- adolescent identifies as male
- adolescent enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade at a participating school,
- parent/legal guardian and teen are English or Spanish speaking,
- parent/legal guardian and son reside together at least 50% of the time,
- parent/legal guardian is willing to provide consent for the adolescent to participate in the study,
- adolescent is willing to provide assent for their own participation.
Who cannot join
- adolescent or parent is unable to read at a 4th grade level or has developmental delays,
- other family members in household have previously participated in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, 09203
About this study
This study will test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to decrease adolescent boys' risk for dating violence involvement as well as attitudes supporting relationship aggression.
Read the detailed description
Over the past ten years dating violence (DV) has been recognized as a significant public health problem affecting adolescents. Emerging data suggest that boys and girls have different developmental trajectories toward violence and therefore prevention programs that target their unique pathways to DV are needed. Despite this need, there is a relative dearth of such gender-informed programs for early adolescent boys. This research project aims to prevent the emergence of DV perpetration/ victimization among boys by developing a web-based intervention that is informed by research on gender-specific pathways to violence and harnesses the influence of parents during the early adolescent years.
Among boys, the perpetration of delinquency-related violence and attitudes supporting violence has been found to predict later perpetration of DV. Thus, gender-informed interventions designed to prevent DV in boys need to target skills that underlie violent behavior and attitudes. The goal of this study is to test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to prevent DV.
A pilot trial was conducted to create and test the efficacy of the web-based intervention. Preliminary results suggested the program was effective in reducing dating-violence involvement. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) will test the efficacy of the intervention against an active control designed to provide health related information in a format similar to that of the intervention condition. 340 families (English or Spanish-speaking) will be randomly assigned to complete the intervention program or the health-promotion control program. All families will complete the program in an observed setting, to ensure fidelity to intervention dosing. Parents and adolescents will complete the program together and then complete assessments of aggressive and risk behaviors, parent-child communication, and emotion regulation at baseline, 3-month,6-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month follow-ups.
- Conditions
- Adolescent Dating Violence
- Being tested
- Project STRONG, Health Promotion
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Project STRONGBehavioural
Project STRONG is a 6-module web-based, dyadic intervention for middle school boys and their parents to complete. Its goal is primary prevention of adolescent dating violence by targeting parent-child communication and emotion regulation ability.
Health PromotionBehavioural
Health promotion is a 6 module web-based, health information program designed to provide health content similar to that provided in a middle school health class. This program is designed to mirror Project STRONG for time and delivery method.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Project STRONG | Experimental | Project STRONG is an active skill-based intervention designed to prevent adolescent dating violence among middle school boys. Boys and a parent will complete the web-based program together focusing on improving communication and emotion regulation. Receives: Behavioral: Project STRONG |
| Health Promotion | Active comparator | Health Promotion is an information-based program designed to mimic content areas provided during middle-school health education. The content is provided via a web-based interface to mirror the content delivery in the active intervention (Project STRONG). Receives: Behavioral: Health Promotion |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in dating violence perpetration and victimization from baseline to 24-months
The Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI), completed by dating teens, assesses verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual dating abuse perpetration and victimization with a current or recent dating partner. The CADRI has strong internal consistency (total α=.83) and 2-week test retest reliability, r=.68, p<.01, as well as acceptable partner agreement (r=.64, p<.01).
Measured: At baseline, participants will report lifetime and past 6-month DV. For all other time points we will assess the past 6 months
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in number of relationship from baseline to 24 months
The Relationship Inventory will obtain general information about adolescents' romantic relationships via 11 items assessing number of relationships, duration, time since last relationship, and number of relationships terminated or not initiated due to concerns about DV.
Measured: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months
Change in attitudes about relationship violence from baseline to 24 months
Attitudes about Relationship Violence Questionnaire (ARVQ; 39 items), completed by parents and teens, assesses knowledge, attitudes, and methods of dealing with DV (subscale αs = .75 -.87).
Measured: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in aggressive behavior from baseline to 24 months
The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)110 has 34 items that rate five types of aggression (e.g., physical, verbal) (α=.94, rtt =.80, total score).
Measured: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in digital abuse behaviors from baseline to 24 months
The Electronic Behaviors in Adolescent Relationships (EBAR) assesses digital forms of DV perpetration and victimization through 32 items
Measured: Baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Mar 2020
- Study start1 Oct 2019
- Primary completion31 May 2025
- Study completion31 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Adolescent Dating ViolenceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Rhode Island Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04312867
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01HD097126
- Status last verified
- Oct 2024
- First submitted
- 16 Mar 2020
- Last updated
- 30 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Per NIH data sharing policy (2015), within one year of completion of the study and dissemination of primary study results, deidentified datasets will be made available to the public, along with the final version of the study protocol, data dictionaries, and brief instructions.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Dating Violence Prevention Program Focusing on Middle School Boys
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04312867
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R01HD097126
- Conditions
- Adolescent Dating Violence
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Rhode Island HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Mar 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to decrease adolescent boys' risk for dating violence involvement as well as attitudes supporting relationship aggression.
Detailed description
Over the past ten years dating violence (DV) has been recognized as a significant public health problem affecting adolescents. Emerging data suggest that boys and girls have different developmental trajectories toward violence and therefore prevention programs that target their unique pathways to DV are needed. Despite this need, there is a relative dearth of such gender-informed programs for early adolescent boys. This research project aims to prevent the emergence of DV perpetration/ victimization among boys by developing a web-based intervention that is informed by research on gender-specific pathways to violence and harnesses the influence of parents during the early adolescent years.
Among boys, the perpetration of delinquency-related violence and attitudes supporting violence has been found to predict later perpetration of DV. Thus, gender-informed interventions designed to prevent DV in boys need to target skills that underlie violent behavior and attitudes. The goal of this study is to test a web-based intervention to enhance emotion regulation skills and parent-son relationship communication to prevent DV.
A pilot trial was conducted to create and test the efficacy of the web-based intervention. Preliminary results suggested the program was effective in reducing dating-violence involvement. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) will test the efficacy of the intervention against an active control designed to provide health related information in a format similar to that of the intervention condition. 340 families (English or Spanish-speaking) will be randomly assigned to complete the intervention program or the health-promotion control program. All families will complete the program in an observed setting, to ensure fidelity to intervention dosing. Parents and adolescents will complete the program together and then complete assessments of aggressive and risk behaviors, parent-child communication, and emotion regulation at baseline, 3-month,6-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month follow-ups.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Project STRONG | Experimental | Behavioral: Project STRONGProject STRONG is an active skill-based intervention designed to prevent adolescent dating violence among middle school boys. Boys and a parent will complete the web-based program together focusing on improving communication and emotion regulation. |
| Health Promotion | Active comparator | Behavioral: Health PromotionHealth Promotion is an information-based program designed to mimic content areas provided during middle-school health education. The content is provided via a web-based interface to mirror the content delivery in the active intervention (Project STRONG). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 15 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- adolescent is between 12 and 15 years old
- adolescent identifies as male
- adolescent enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade at a participating school,
- parent/legal guardian and teen are English or Spanish speaking,
- parent/legal guardian and son reside together at least 50% of the time,
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- adolescent or parent is unable to read at a 4th grade level or has developmental delays,
- other family members in household have previously participated in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Project STRONGProject STRONG is a 6-module web-based, dyadic intervention for middle school boys and their parents to complete. Its goal is primary prevention of adolescent dating violence by targeting parent-child communication and emotion regulation ability. | Behavioural | Project STRONG |
| Health PromotionHealth promotion is a 6 module web-based, health information program designed to provide health content similar to that provided in a middle school health class. This program is designed to mirror Project STRONG for time and delivery method. | Behavioural | Health Promotion |
Primary outcome
Change in dating violence perpetration and victimization from baseline to 24-months
Time frame: At baseline, participants will report lifetime and past 6-month DV. For all other time points we will assess the past 6 months
The Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI), completed by dating teens, assesses verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual dating abuse perpetration and victimization with a current or recent dating partner. The CADRI has strong internal consistency (total α=.83) and 2-week test retest reliability, r=.68, p<.01, as well as acceptable partner agreement (r=.64, p<.01).
4 secondary outcomes
Change in number of relationship from baseline to 24 months
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months
Change in attitudes about relationship violence from baseline to 24 months
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in aggressive behavior from baseline to 24 months
Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Change in digital abuse behaviors from baseline to 24 months
Time frame: Baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 month followup
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Jul 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Per NIH data sharing policy (2015), within one year of completion of the study and dissemination of primary study results, deidentified datasets will be made available to the public, along with the final version of the study protocol, data dictionaries, and brief instructions.
Related trials for Adolescent Dating Violence
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Caregiver-Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention Intervention Pilot Trial
Adolescent Relationship Abuse, Sexual and Gender Minorities
Not yet recruitingObservational study
Evaluation of State-Level Sexual and Gender Minority Laws for the Primary Prevention of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in the U.S.
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Pilot Trial of Clinic-based Dating Violence Prevention Program for Adolescents and Caregivers
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Project STRONG and Health Promotion in people with Adolescent Dating Violence, run by Rhode Island Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Jul 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in dating violence perpetration and victimization from baseline to 24-months (time frame: At baseline, participants will report lifetime and past 6-month DV. For all other time points we will assess the past 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Jul 2025.