文章基本信息

标题：Assessing the Long-Term Effects of the Safe Dates Program and a Booster in Preventing and Reducing Adolescent Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration
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作者：Vangie A. Foshee ; Karl E. Bauman ; Susan T. Ennett 等
期刊名称：American journal of public health
印刷版ISSN：0090-0036
出版年度：2004
卷号：94
期号：4
页码：619-624
语种：English
出版社：American Public Health Association
摘要：Objectives. This study determined 4-year postintervention effects of Safe Dates on dating violence, booster effects, and moderators of the program effects. Methods. We gathered baseline data in 10 schools that were randomly allocated to a treatment condition. We collected follow-up data 1 month after the program and then yearly thereafter for 4 years. Between the 2- and 3-year follow-ups, a randomly selected half of treatment adolescents received a booster. Results. Compared with controls, adolescents receiving Safe Dates reported significantly less physical, serious physical, and sexual dating violence perpetration and victimization 4 years after the program. The booster did not improve the effectiveness of Safe Dates. Conclusions. Safe Dates shows promise for preventing dating violence but the booster should not be used. Adolescent dating violence is a public health problem. 1– 12 The Safe Dates Project is a randomized controlled trial for testing the effects of a school-based intervention on the prevention and reduction of dating violence among adolescents. Findings reported earlier suggested that 1 month after intervention, Safe Dates prevented and reduced dating violence and positively changed cognitive mediating variables that were based on program content. 13 One year after the intervention, cognitive risk factor effects were maintained, but behavioral effects disappeared. 14 These findings are consistent with those from prevention trials aimed at other adolescent problem behaviors that measured long-term effects: behavioral effects faded whereas effects on cognitive risk factors persisted. 15– 18 Three years after Safe Dates was implemented, a booster was implemented with a random half of the original treatment group adolescents. Boosters are intended to reinforce the content of original programs so as to maintain or regain initial program effects. They are typically a briefer version of the original program but with the same theoretical base and are administered at least 1 year after the original intervention. Boosters that have been used with school-based programs for preventing other adolescent problem behaviors have included newsletters followed by telephone contact with the adolescent, 19 magazines handed out to the adolescents in school, 20 and a reduced number of classroom sessions. 21, 22 Our booster was a newsletter mailed to the adolescents and a personal contact from a health educator by telephone. The purposes of this article are to (1) examine the 4-year postintervention effects of Safe Dates on dating violence perpetration and victimization and (2) determine whether the booster improved the effectiveness of Safe Dates. Findings from evaluations of other adolescent problem behavior interventions support the potential for long-term program effects 23 and booster effects 20, 22, 24 even after original program effects have faded. This is the first study to test the long-term effects of an adolescent dating violence prevention program and to test whether a booster prevents adolescent dating violence. We examined the effects of Safe Dates and the booster on psychological, physical, serious physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration. Because the effects of programs for preventing other adolescent problem behaviors have been found to vary by gender, 25 race, 19 and preprogram involvement in the problem behavior, 15, 20, 21, 26 we also determined if the effects of Safe Dates and the booster were moderated by these variables.