Evaluating the effectiveness of Green Dot to prevent multiple forms of violence among high school youth who have been exposed to family violence

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PROJECT SUMMARY More than one in nine children are exposed to family violence, which is associated with victimization by and perpetration of multiple forms of violence across their lives. Green Dot, a bystander intervention program, has been shown to effectively reduce violence at the school level, but we do not know how well it works at the individual level with the higher-risk youth who have exposure to family violence. This K01 project will address this gap and extend the knowledge of cross-cutting violence prevention by evaluating the intervention’s effectiveness with this target population through a secondary analysis of data collected as a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded cooperative agreement Green Dot Across the Bluegrass (5U01CE001675), with two specific aims for this project. Specific Aim 1 will identify whether exposure to family violence moderates the effectiveness of Green Dot to prevent multiple forms of violence; it aligns with the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s (NCIPC) research priority to evaluate the effectiveness and economic efficiency of programs, policies, and practices to enhance young people’s skills and relationships that reduce their involvement in multiple forms of violence. Specific Aim 2 will identify whether binge drinking and attitudes toward violence mediate, and whether the youth’s sex moderates, the effectiveness of Green Dot among youth exposed to family violence; it aligns with the NCIPC’s research priority to identify modifiable factors that buffer against adversity and aggressive behavior in childhood. Research outcomes will include identification of modifiable risk factors that can be used to tailor Green Dot to prevent future victimization and perpetration of multiple forms of violence (i.e., teen dating violence, sexual harassment, bullying, sexual assault, and stalking). This career development project also includes two strategic objectives toward independence for an early-career researcher in the field of violence prevention: 1) develop mastery of advanced analytic techniques to evaluate intervention data, and 2) apply social epidemiological principles to violence prevention. The strong mentoring team includes primary mentor Dr. Melinda Forthofer, Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at UNC Charlotte, and co-mentors Dr. Ann L. Coker and Dr. Heather Bush, both from the University of Kentucky. Training activities include hands-on data analysis lessons with Dr. Bush, online and face-to-face courses in advanced statistics and social epidemiology, and attendance at a conference and workshops hosted by the Society for Behavioral Medicine. Research results will be disseminated through at least one conference presentation and one first-authored manuscript, and the submission of an R01, or equivalent, grant proposal. The findings will be translated to advocates and practitioners by developing and disseminating a research brief with actionable recommendations to local and state stakeholders. Overall, successful completion of this K01 project will lead to longer-term goals of cross- cutting violence prevention for a vulnerable population, and a sustainable, independent, research career.