Dating Violence and HIV Prevention in Girls: Adapting Mental Health Interventions

Dating Violence and HIV Prevention in Girls: Adapting Mental Health Interventions

This project is designed to develop and test a group-based preventive intervention to reduce dating violence and sexual risk behavior among adolescent females with prior dating violence exposure.

A growing body of research reveals that dating violence (DV) plays a significant role in adolescent girls' HIV risk. Dating violence has been associated with less condom use, younger age at first intercourse, having multiple sex partners and alcohol use prior to sexual encounters. Thus, prevention strategies that address dating violence and HIV risk may hold promise for reducing sexual risk behavior among a particularly at-risk population. In this study, a cognitive-behaviorally based intervention named "Skills to Manage Aggression in Relationships for Teens" (Date S.M.A.R.T.) is being developed and compared to a psychoeducational program for dating violence and HIV prevention. The program is being implemented with a sample of underserved youth, as economic disadvantage and minority status have been found to be related to increased rates of adolescent dating violence. A primary focus of the intervention is to address mental health problems (i.e. psychological distress and behavioral dysregulation) that underlie the development and maintenance of both dating violence and sexual risk behavior among adolescent girls.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adolescent must be English-speaking
• Adolescent must have a lifetime history of physical dating violence perpetration or victimization

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current enrollment in an intervention for dating violence or HIV prevention