Assessing the impact and implementation of state laws for adolescent intimate partner violence

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Adolescent intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem in the United States. More than 60% of adolescents aged 12-18 in relationships report experiencing IPV (physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse). Given the widespread prevalence and associated adverse outcomes, states are actively engaged in primary prevention strategies for reducing IPV, including the enactment and implementation of IPV laws. These state laws, which are rapidly expanding across the country, have the potential to alter the social context in which IPV occurs by encouraging or requiring school districts to adopt prevention education curricula and policies for addressing IPV. Such policies include definitions, training requirements for teachers and staff, and reporting procedures. Currently, 19 states have passed laws encouraging or mandating school IPV policies. Despite these laws gaining momentum in the past decade, there is a paucity of research examining the effectiveness of state laws and how schools implement policies to meet states’ legal mandates. The objectives of the proposed research in this Pathway to Independence Award are to determine if state IPV laws reduce the prevalence of adolescent IPV victimization and to assess if and how high schools implement these laws adequately. The specific aims are to: 1) estimate the effectiveness of state IPV laws on reducing the prevalence of adolescent IPV; 2) assess the implementation of IPV laws and the relationship between school IPV policies and IPV outcomes at the school-district level; 3) identify barriers and facilitators to implementing IPV policies in high schools; and 4) develop, refine, and test the feasibility and acceptability of a toolkit for implementation of IPV legislation in high schools. This study will provide the largest and most comprehensive evaluation of state IPV legislation to date. Findings will provide critical data on the effectiveness of school IPV policies in preventing adolescent IPV and actionable evidence for policy makers and agencies responsible for carrying out IPV policy implementation. To acquire the necessary skills to accomplish this project, I will receive training in three critical areas: 1) health policy and advanced econometrics; 2) implementation science; and 3) qualitative methods. I will also engage in professional development, extend my professional networks, and further develop my grant writing and oral presentation skills. I have assembled an interdisciplinary mentorship team with expertise in public health, medicine, public policy, law, and education to ensure completion of the proposed research and training plan and a successful transition to independence. This Pathway to Independence Award will enable me to develop into an interdisciplinary, independent investigator who examines the causes and consequences of IPV at the individual level and assesses how multilevel policies and interventions can prevent adolescent IPV.