An evaluation of Safe Dates, an adolescent dating violence prevention program.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the effects of the Safe Dates program on the primary and secondary prevention of adolescent dating violence.


METHODS
Fourteen schools were randomly allocated to treatment conditions. Eighty percent (n=1886) of the eighth and ninth graders in a rural county completed baseline questionnaires, and 1700 (90%) completed follow-up questionnaires.


RESULTS
Treatment and control groups were comparable at baseline. In the full sample at follow-up, less psychological abuse, sexual violence, and violence perpetrated against the current dating partner were reported in treatment than in control schools. In a subsample of adolescents reporting no dating violence at baseline (a primary prevention subsample), there was less initiation of psychological abuse in treatment than in control schools. In a subsample of adolescents reporting dating violence at baseline (a secondary prevention subsample), there was less psychological abuse and sexual violence perpetration reported at follow-up in treatment than in control schools. Most program effects were explained by changes in dating violence norms, gender stereotyping, and awareness of services.


CONCLUSIONS
The Safe Dates program shows promise for preventing dating violence among adolescents.
Foshee
V A
VA
School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Bauman
K E
KE
Arriaga
X B
XB
Helms
R W
RW
Koch
G G
GG
Linder
G F
GF
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011322:Primary Prevention; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011902:Rape / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013240:Stereotyping; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*