Creating Peace: Community-based Youth Violence Prevention to Address Racism and Discrimination

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Violence, Non-accidental; Violence, Domestic; Emotional Abuse; Coping Skills; Group, Peer; Violence, Sexual; Communication, Personal; Adolescent Behavior
• Interventions: Behavioral: Job Readiness; Behavioral: Creating Peace

• Registration Number: NCT04474158
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh

Brief Summary

This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a trauma-sensitive, gender transformative youth violence prevention program called Creating Peace that integrates racism and discrimination prevention with youth ages 14-19.

Detailed Description

This community-partnered cluster-randomized controlled trial will examine the effectiveness of a trauma-sensitive, gender-transformative youth violence prevention program that integrates racism and discrimination prevention.

Set in 24 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with concentrated social and economic disadvantage, this study addresses gender and racial injustice through a series of group discussions, bringing together adolescents ages 14-19 with law enforcement officers in a process of social restoration.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-07-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-07-13
• Study First Posted: 2020-07-16
• Study Start: 2020-12-04
• Status Verified: 2024-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-11-13
• Last Update Posted: 2024-11-15
• Primary Completion: 2025-06-30
• Study Completion: 2025-10-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1800

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants must be ages 14-19 (inclusive)
• Participants must speak English

Exclusion Criteria

• Not ages 14-19 (inclusive)
• Do not speak English

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Job Readiness Training	Job Readiness	Job Readiness Training uses a group discussion format to learn specific skills to prepare for employment including developing goals, seeking jobs, preparing for interviews, and so forth. Participants receive a 12 session job readiness training with linkages to businesses and employment opportunities. Discussions include a wide range of topics related to career exploration and job readiness.
Creating Peace	Creating Peace	Creating Peace uses a group discussion format with activities that explore race, gender, sexual identity, and social class. Creating Peace is a 12 session curriculum designed to support youth ages 14-19 in healing from experiences of trauma by restoring social connections, strengthening positive coping strategies that exclude all forms of violence, challenging gender norms that foster violence perpetration, and practicing positive bystander intervention skills to intervene safely with peers' disrespectful and harmful behaviors. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 4 to 12 week period, Creating Peace offers gender transformative content combined with youth leadership development. Near program conclusion, youth will offer guidance to law enforcement on interacting with youth in a process of social restoration.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in recent use of any violence at 3 months	At baseline and three months after program conclusion	Summary score of any recent use of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; sexual violence; physical violence and threatening with a weapon; cyber dating abuse, cyber peer abuse, and sexting) calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (lower score indicates better outcome)
Change in recent use of any violence at 9 months	At baseline and nine months after program.	Summary score of any recent use of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; sexual violence; physical violence and threatening with a weapon; cyber dating abuse, cyber peer abuse, and sexting) calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (lower score indicates better outcome)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in past 30 day weapon carrying at 9 months	At baseline and nine months after program conclusion	Self-reported number of days they carried a weapon in past 30 days
Change in positive bystander behaviors at 3 months	At baseline and three months after program conclusion	Past 3 month positive bystander behavior when witnessing disrespectful and harmful behavior among peers comparing baseline and follow up summary scores. Participants report if they have witnessed peers' abusive behaviors in the past 3 months and if witnessed, how they responded (whether they intervened to interrupt the behavior, provided support to person being harmed).
Change in past 30 day weapon carrying at 3 months	At baseline and three months after program conclusion	Self-reported number of days they carried a weapon in past 30 days
Change in positive bystander behaviors at 9 months	At baseline and nine months after program conclusion	Past 3 month positive bystander behavior when witnessing disrespectful and harmful behavior among peers comparing baseline and follow up summary scores. Participants report if they have witnessed peers' abusive behaviors in the past 3 months and if witnessed, how they responded (whether they intervened to interrupt the behavior, provided support to person being harmed).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Pittsburgh; 🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States