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Assessing the Effects of the Dating Violence Prevention Program “Safe Dates” Using Random CoefficientRegression Modeling

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The Safe Dates Project is a randomized trial for evaluating a school-based adolescent dating violence prevention program. Five waves of data were used to examine the effects of Safe Dates over time including primary and secondary prevention effects, moderators, and mediators of program effects. Using random coefficients models, with multiple imputation of missing data, significant program effects were found at all four follow-up periods on psychological, moderate physical, and sexual dating violence perpetration and moderate physical dating violence victimization. Marginal effects were found on sexual victimization. Effects on severe physical perpetration at all four follow-up periods were moderated by prior involvement in that type of violence. Primary and secondary prevention effects were found and the program was equally effective for males and females and for whites and non-whites. Program effects were mediated by changes in dating violence norms, gender-role norms, and awareness of community services.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cooperative Agreement Number U81/CCU409964. This study was reviewed and approved by The University of North Carolina, School of Public Health, Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. Active parental consent and adolescent assent were obtained from all study adolescents.

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Correspondence to Vangie A. Foshee.

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Foshee, V.A., Bauman, K.E., Ennett, S.T. et al. Assessing the Effects of the Dating Violence Prevention Program “Safe Dates” Using Random CoefficientRegression Modeling. Prev Sci 6, 245–258 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-005-0007-0

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