Youth Empowerment Solutions for Healthy Relationships: Engaging Youth to Prevent Sexual Violence

摘要 性暴力（SV）和青少年约会暴力（TDV）是美国重大的公共卫生问题。 states.在密歇根州，据报发生了5,500起性侵犯事件，其中20%以上发生在韦恩县。 2009年，密歇根州向警方报告了超过10万起家庭暴力犯罪， 包括性别、种族和社会经济地位影响联系法律的系统的决定。理解 在预防方面可能有效的可改变的保护因素至关重要，包括社会规范和 社会联系，以及如何在特定环境下利用这些方法来预防IPV和SV。 本研究的目的是适应，实施和评估一个基于实践的发展 针对SV和TDV实施适当的一级预防策略，重点是影响社区一级 通过赋予青年权力和积极的青年发展进行变革，以建立社会联系， 旁观者干预，改善社会规范。技术在TDV和SV中的作用，以及性别 对暴力的机制、意义和背景的相似性和差异的敏感透镜将 接受检查。中心假设是，学生驱动的初级预防战略，重点是社会 规范和学校与社区的联系，在中学环境中实施，将有效地 降低SV和TDV的发生率。 使用一组随机试验，拟议的研究旨在解开SV和IPV之间的关系 犯罪，青年赋权，社会联系和社会规范。干预和研究将 与密歇根州韦恩县的六所高中合作进行，包括重点小组， 过程观察和一年两次的调查研究。干预措施将在学校内进行 作为九年级和十年级学生的选修课。学生谁提供青年同意和家长 从九年级和十年级开始，将在三年内对同意情况进行六次调查。青年和父母 将被招募参加焦点小组，为干预战略的调整提供信息，并提供 更好地了解调查研究。将采取广泛的措施来保密 研究参与者。在每年年底，将进行数据共享和口译协助 研究小组和干预学校合作，加强基础设施。干预 在项目结束时，还将为比较学校提供培训和能力建设， 持续发展 将使用分层线性模型和结构方程模型进行分析。嵌套模型 将使用分析研究变量分层性质的结构来估计以下因素的影响： IPV和SV犯罪的个人，关系，学校和社区层面的风险和保护因素。一个 尽管存在损耗，但期望2,000个初始样品具有用于复杂分析足够功效。

ABSTRACT Sexual Violence (SV) and Teen Dating Violence (TDV) are significant public health concerns in the United States. Within Michigan, 5,500 sexual assaults were reported, more that 20% of which occur in Wayne County. More than 100,000 domestic violence offenses were reported to police in Michigan in 2009, however factors including gender, race, and socio-economic status influence decisions to contact legal systems. Understanding modifiable protective factors that may be efficacious in prevention is essential, including social norms and social connectedness, and how these may be leveraged in a context-specific approach to prevent IPV and SV. The aim of the research is to adapt, implement and evaluate an empirically-based developmentally appropriate, primary prevention strategy for SV and TDV perpetration, focused on influencing community-level change through youth empowerment and positive youth development to build social connectedness, improve bystander intervention, and improve social norms. The role of technology in TDV and SV, as well as a gender sensitive lens regarding the similarities and difference in the mechanism, meaning and context of violence will be examined. The central hypothesis is that a student-driven primary prevention strategy, focusing on social norms and school and community connectedness, implemented in middle school settings will be effective in reducing the incidence of SV and TDV. Using a group randomized trial, the proposed study seeks to disentangle relationships between SV and IPV perpetration, youth empowerment, social connectedness, and social norms. The intervention and research will be conducted in collaboration with six high schools in Wayne County, Michigan, including focus groups, process observation, and biannual survey research. The intervention will be infused within the school curriculum as an elective for ninth and tenth grades students. Students who provide youth assent and parental consent will be surveyed six times over three years, starting with the ninth and tenth grades. Youth and parents will be recruited to participate in focus groups to inform the adaptation of the intervention strategy and provide greater understanding of the survey research. Extensive measures will be taken to preserve the confidentiality of research participants. At the end of each year, data sharing and assistance with interpretation will take place in a collaboration between the research team and intervention schools to strengthen infrastructure. Intervention and comparison schools will also be provided training and capacity building at the end of the project to promote sustainability. Analysis will be conducted using hierarchical linear modeling and structural equation modeling. A nested model structure that analyzes the hierarchical nature of the study variables will be used to estimate the effects of individual, relational, school, and community-level risk and protective factors for IPV and SV perpetration. An initial sample of 2,000 is desired have adequate power for complex analysis despite attrition.