MedPath

Effectiveness of a Safety App to Respond to Dating Violence for College Women and Their Friends

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Intimate Partner Violence
Interventions
Behavioral: Personalized App-Based Safety Decision Aid
Behavioral: Usual Care Safety Planing App
Registration Number
NCT02236663
Lead Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
Brief Summary

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including violence in dating relationships (dating violence, DV) is a widespread and serious public health problem. Among U.S. female IPV survivors, 47.1% report their first abusive relationship occurred at college age (age 18-24). Similarly, in national surveys, adults respondents 18-24 years of age report the highest rate of stalking victimization, most commonly by a former intimate partner. Safety planning is the most widely used intervention to prevent and respond to IPV, yet the vast majority of abused women never access safety planning services. Our challenge is to increase college women's access to safety planning, with the opportunity to consider their unique safety priorities and level of danger during and when ending an abusive relationship. In addition, while "bystander" interventions that train peers to safely intervene have been shown to be effective in sexual assault prevention on campus, and college women in abusive relationships most frequently disclose IPV to a friend, no similar interventions have been tested with friends for IPV response on campuses. Therefore, the objective of the study is to evaluate the:

1. effectiveness of an interactive, personalized smart phone and web based safety application ("App") intervention in Maryland and Oregon with: 1) college women (age 18-24) who experience IPV and 2) friends (age 18-24) of women experiencing IPV. The safety decision App allows the user to enter information on: a) relationship health; b) safety priorities; and c) severity of violence/danger in relationship. The App then uses the information to provide the user with a personalized safety planning information and resources; and

2. dissemination of the App nationally to determine the reach, adoption, implementation and maintenance of App use among university/college students.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
649
Inclusion Criteria
  • Females who report current physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse or stalking by a dating/intimate/ex-intimate partner, or who have a female friend currently experiencing abuse from dating/intimate/ex-intimate partner.
  • Males who have a female friend currently experiencing physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse or stalking by a dating/intimate/ex-intimate partner
  • English speaking
  • Between the ages of 18-24 years old
  • Attend a college in Maryland or Oregon
  • Enrolled in college or university (at least part time)
  • Have access to a safe smart-phone or computer with internet and are comfortable downloading an app or using the internet
  • Have a safe email address
Exclusion Criteria
  • Younger than 18 years of age
  • Older than 24 years of age
  • Cannot read/speak English
  • Live outside targeted states
  • No access to safe smart phone or computer with internet
  • Uncomfortable with downloading an app
  • No access to a safe email address
  • Does not report current violence from an intimate partner or having a female friend that has experienced intimate partner violence

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
App Based Safety Decision AidPersonalized App-Based Safety Decision AidPersonalized App-Based Safety Decision Aid
Control AppUsual Care Safety Planing AppUsual Care Safety Plan
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in friends' efficacy to intervene on adapted Self-efficacy to Deal with Violence Scale at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 months

19 times scale adapted to assess friends of survivors' confidence to intervene.

Changes from baseline in friends' supportive behaviors on Supportive Behaviors Checklist at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 months

Assesses supportive behaviors used to assist a friend experiencing intimate partner violence.

Change from baseline in survivors' use of safety strategies on Safety Behavior Checklist at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 Months

Adapted from Intimate Partner Violence Strategies Index to assess for survivors the range of strategies used to halt, escape, or resist violence, and the helpfulness of each strategy.

Change from baseline in survivors' and friends' decisional conflict on Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) immediately post intervention.Baseline, immediately post intervention

The DCS consists of twelve items, with each question having three response options (yes, no, and unsure). The DCS provides a total score, which is a measure of the decision process, as well as scores for four subscales (feeling informed, certainty about decision, values clarity, and support), with higher scores on the DCS indicating a greater degree of decisional conflict (indicative of a poorer decision process). Will be used to assess decisional conflict with survivors and friends.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in survivors' and friends' Decisional Conflict on Decisional Conflict Scale at 12 moBaseline, 12 month
Change from baseline in survivor' depression on Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Revised at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 months

A 20-item self report measure, designed to screen for depressive symptoms in community samples and assess the probability that an individual meets the criteria for major depressive disorder.

Change from baseline in survivors' abuse exposure on the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 months

The CAS is a 30 item validated comprehensive intimate partner violence screening measure with

Change from baseline in survivors' drug and alcohol use on adapted Monitoring the Future Drug and Alcohol Questionnaire at 12 months.Baseline, 12 months
Changes from baseline in friends' attitudes on the Intimate Partner Violence on the Acceptance of Dating Violence Scale at 12 monthsBaseline, 12 months

5 item scale used to measures norms that support violence.

Trial Locations

Locations (4)

Kaiser Foundation Research Institute

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Portland, Oregon, United States

Arizona State University

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of Missouri

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Columbia, Missouri, United States

ยฉ Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath