A Brief Motivational Interview Intervention to Reduce Dating Abuse Perpetration, Boston, Massachusetts, 2014-2017

This study tests a brief intervention designed to reduce adolescent dating abuse (ADA) perpetration in a healthcare setting used primarily by low income, Black, and Hispanic youth. The Project READY (Reducing Aggression in Dating Relationships for Youth) is a theory-driven, empirically supported, brief intervention. READY intercepts youth who utilize an urban emergency department for non-urgent health care (e.g., sprains), provides them with tailored feedback about their relationship behavior, and uses motivational interviewing to move them towards non-violence and respect. READY was designed to avoid victim-blaming and is responsive to the gendered dynamic of ADA. A small feasibility pilot test of READY was completed in 2013 (N=27). Participants were 173 youth ages 15-19 years old who were patients of an urban pediatric emergency department. Youth who perpetrated at least 1 act of physical or sexual ADA 3 months prior to baseline were eligible. The proposed experimental evaluation of READY used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, with 3- and 6-month follow-ups to assess changes in knowledge, attitude and perpetration behavior. The hypotheses are: (1) Youth who participate in the brief intervention session and telephone booster call will report improved knowledge and attitudes, and less self-reported ADA perpetration up to 6 months post-intervention as compared to youth in the control group; and (2) the cost of providing the intervention will be less than the cost of the violence that occurs in its absence. Mixed effects linear and logistic models were used to analyze longitudinal data.

本研究针对主要服务于低收入黑人和西班牙裔青少年的医疗场景，开展一项旨在减少青少年约会暴力（Adolescent Dating Abuse, ADA）施暴行为的简短干预测试。项目READY（全称为Reducing Aggression in Dating Relationships for Youth，即青少年恋爱关系攻击行为减少计划）是一项基于理论构建、经实证支持的简短干预方案。READY会对接因非急症医疗（如扭伤）前往城市急诊室就诊的青少年，为其提供针对自身恋爱关系行为的定制化反馈，并通过动机访谈（motivational interviewing）引导其转向非暴力与相互尊重的相处模式。该方案旨在避免指责受害者，且适配青少年约会暴力的性别权力动态特征。2013年已完成一项小型可行性预试验（样本量N=27）。本次研究的参与者为173名年龄介于15至19岁的城市儿科急诊室患者，筛选条件为在基线前3个月曾实施过至少1次肢体或性相关的青少年约会暴力行为。本研究拟采用随机对照试验（Randomized Controlled Trial, RCT）设计对READY进行实验性评估，设置3个月与6个月的随访周期，以评估干预后在认知、态度与施暴行为层面的变化。研究假设包括：（1）相较于对照组，参与简短干预课程与电话强化回访的青少年，在干预后6个月内的认知与态度将得到改善，且自我报告的青少年约会暴力施暴行为将有所减少；（2）提供该干预的成本将低于未实施干预时暴力事件所产生的相关成本。本研究采用混合效应线性模型与逻辑回归模型对纵向数据进行分析。