Dating Violence Prevention Research Articles

Development and validation of the Relational Skills Inventory for Adolescents

IntroductionDating violence prevention initiatives are intended, not only to reduce the occurrence of violent behaviors, but also to promote the development of positive dating relational skills starting in adolescence. However, despite the growing interest in examining adolescent relational skills in adolescents, no specific measure is yet available to assess post program gains relative to dating violence prevention and intervention. The current study addressed this important gap in dating relationships research by developing and validating a new measure of relational skills for adolescents. MethodsExploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on two samples of French-speaking dating adolescents from Quebec, Canada (n1= 384; n2= 687). ResultsExploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure reflecting constructs of Assertiveness, Support and Individuality (α = 0.69-0.81). Results also support evidence of convergent validity with related measures. The three-factor structure was cross-validated among a second sample (α = 0.74-0.79). Two-way ANCOVAs were also conducted to examine differences in levels of relational skills as a function of sex and previous dating violence perpetration. Results indicated that girls reported higher levels of assertiveness than boys, and that adolescents who reported the use of dating violence also reported lower levels of all relational skills. ConclusionThe validation of the Relational Skills Inventory for Adolescents (RSI-A) will help researchers assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting the development of positive dating relationships during adolescence.

A Dating Violence Prevention Program for Middle School Youth: A Cluster Randomized Trial

We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial to test the a priori hypothesis that students attending an intervention middle school would be less likely to report physical adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) 1 year later compared with students attending a control school. Secondary objectives were to determine if the intervention reduced substance misuse, bullying, and fighting. Twenty-four Texas public middle schools were matched by the size of student enrollment, number of economically disadvantaged students, and race and ethnicity of the student body and randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 12; 1237 participants) or the control (n = 12; 1531participants) group. The intervention, Fourth R, is a classroom-based curriculum delivered by existing teachers and consists of 21 lessons on injury prevention, substance use, and growth and development. Participants (50% female) self-reported ethnicity as Hispanic or Latinx (35%), Black or African American (24%), Asian American (17%), White (8%), and multiethnicity or other (16%). Among those who have dated, students in the intervention schools were less likely to report perpetrating physical ARA (intervention = 14.9% versus control = 18.3%) relative to students in the control schools (adjusted odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-1.00; P = .05). In the overall sample, no significant differences emerged between control and intervention groups with respect to substance misuse, fighting, and bullying. The middle school version of Fourth R is effective in reducing physical ARA perpetration over at least 1 year. The intervention did not have an effect on bullying perpetration, physical fighting with peers, and substance misuse. Long-term assessment, especially follow-up that covers the transition to high school, is needed to examine the program benefit on key outcomes.

DRIVEN to Change Attitudes Toward Dating Violence: Outcomes From a 6-Month Follow-Up Study

While dating violence (DV) is a significant issue present on college campuses among students of all ethnic groups, research suggests that DV is preventable. As Latino representation at colleges increases, it is important to find DV prevention programs addressing specific sociocultural characteristics of this ethnic group. We created the DRIVEN (Dating Relationships Involving Violence End Now) program to fill a significant need for DV programming tailored to Latino college students. This study examines the durability of initial positive outcomes over a 6-month period. To do so, we conducted a 6-month follow-up with a total of 49 Latino college students attending a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located on the U.S.-Mexico border. Results suggest DRIVEN outcomes were maintained on the following variables: dating violence attitudes, dating violence victimization and perpetration, and marianismo. Implications for these findings are discussed in the context of implementing group-based programs with college students.

Rural young males’ acceptance & receptiveness to technology-based interventions for dating violence prevention: A qualitative descriptive study

IntroductionRural youth are twice as likely as urban youth to experience some forms of teen dating violence (TDV), and significant barriers to accessing support services for physical, psychological, sexual violence. However, rural youth remain understudied and undersampled. Rural young men, in particular, are at risk for experiencing or perpetrating dating violence influenced by regional and sociocultural risk factors that promote male supremacy ideals while also impeding male help-seeking. Technology-based interventions circumvent some of these risk factors by offering confidential and reliable support. This study investigates rural young males’ acceptability of technology-based interventions for fostering healthy relationships and preventing dating abuse, including their preferences for intervention content and features. MethodsThree online focus groups (n = 14) and phone interviews (n = 13) were conducted with rural young males. Participants were stratified by age (15–17 and 18–24 year-olds). Most were White (81%) from the United States Midwest (65%). Semi-structured interview data were analyzed using Qualitative Description (QD), guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). ResultsThree themes identified were (1) Scarcity of Useful Resources, (2) Socio-Structural Challenges for Intervention Uptake, with two subthemes (2a) Rural-Specific Structural Barriers and (2b) Rural Masculinity Disrupting Help-seeking; (3) Finally, participants discussed Functionality and Design Needs, itemizing their intervention “must-have” in terms of content, resources, and features. ConclusionThis qualitative study identified obstacles and facilitators to using technology-based interventions for dating violence prevention among young rural males and offers pragmatic “ready-to-use” recommendations for the development of technology-based anti-dating violence interventions for rural youth.

Sex as Boys' Fame, But Girls' Shame: Adversarial Adolescent Gender Roles and Gender-based Violence in Guyana.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant issue for youth in Guyana, particularly among young women. Yet, discussions about sex, dating, and violence rarely occur at the community level. To understand the heightened risk for GBV with youth in Guyana, we utilized a critical qualitative design to explore adolescent dating violence with adolescents (14–16 years old), parents, and school officials in a public secondary school in Guyana. In total, 36 racially and religiously diverse participants from low to middle-income households participated in focus groups (n = 30) and interviews (n = 6). Discussions centered on dating in adolescence; community awareness of dating violence; gender, racialization, and class in relation to dating violence; and dating violence prevention in schools and family settings. Our results revealed that heteronormative, adversarial gender roles in Guyana are enacted in adolescent relationships in ways that contribute to violence. Two important factors emerged in relation to femininity: female respectability related to sexuality; and the relationship between clothing, sexuality, and social class. Masculinity for adolescent boys was centered on reproducing normative assumptions about femininity and explaining the use of violence through pathologizing race. Participants were also asked to identify gender roles that adolescent boys and girls should embody in relationships, which revealed possibilities for overcoming adversarial roles in relationships. We propose that adolescent GBV prevention initiatives consider long-standing and deeply embedded ideas within gender norms that are connected to sexuality, class, and race. Without accounting for these systemic factors, GBV prevention initiatives and programs may inadvertently perpetuate traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity that contribute to violence.

Teen dating violence: From analyzing the problem to finding solutions.

Teen dating violence: From analyzing the problem to finding solutions.

Inside Dating Relationships Involving Violence End Now: Participants’ perspectives at a 6‐month follow‐up

AbstractDating Relationships Involving Violence End Now (DRIVEN) is a recently developed programme that is geared to Latino college students. The current study highlights DRIVEN participants’ perceptions of the programme at six months post‐programme. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 49 programme participants. Interviews were coded using conventional qualitative analysis with a team of seven researchers and resulted in three main themes. Psychological factors included group experience (safety, group cohesion and learning from others) and the impact of group leaders (characteristics and skills). Educational factors include learning about dating violence (DV) information and factors (learning about DV, the influence of Latino culture and Latino gender roles) and learning effective communication skills. The last theme of age group factors stressed personal growth such as gaining self‐awareness and learning how to help others. The themes identified by participants parallel several research findings on the aspects of effective programmes. These aspects, grounded within a group format for a culturally specific population, aid in dating violence prevention efforts.

A cluster analysis of dynamics in adolescent romantic relationships

IntroductionWhile several studies involving adolescents have addressed issues related to romantic relationships and dating violence, there is a limited understanding of adolescent romantic relationship dynamics. Typological analyses have been useful to provide targeted interventions and to simplify our understanding of complex phenomena. MethodsThis study explored dynamics in adolescent romantic relationships, considering the interaction between romantic partner characteristics to identify dyadic profiles. A sample of 90 heterosexual dyads of Canadian adolescents (Mage = 18.44 years, SD = 1.47) completed a self-reported questionnaire. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted based on the dimensions of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (i.e., cohesion, flexibility, and communication; Olson & Gorall, 2003). ResultsAnalysis revealed four profiles of romantic relationship dynamics: 1) balanced dynamic (51.0% of the sample); 2) hampered dynamic (8.3%); 3) entangled dynamic (20.8%); and 4) rigid dynamic (13.5%). Taking into account the variations between and within dyads, results highlight the diversity of romantic experiences and offer a better understanding of the intricacies of different adolescent romantic relationship dynamics. Correlates indicated that the profiles can be distinguished by different personal and interpersonal characteristics. ConclusionThis study emphasizes the importance of integrating a more person- and dyad-oriented framework in our understanding of adolescent romantic dynamics, since a unique approach to prevention and intervention may not address the needs of all adolescents. The results provided important insight into the identified profiles, guiding dating violence prevention efforts and programs and promoting harmonious and egalitarian romantic relationships.

Evaluation of the One Love Escalation Workshop for Dating Abuse Prevention: a Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot Study with a Sample of US Navy Sailors.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Escalation Workshop with a sample of US Navy sailors. Escalation is a one-session workshop designed to promote bystander behavior related to dating abuse. We conducted a two-arm RCT with follow-up at 4 and 8 months. Participants were 335 Navy sailors, recruited from two comparable ships based in the USA. The unit of randomization was the ship. The primary outcomes were as follows: (a) attitudes related to intervening as a bystander in dating abuse situations, (b) injunctive norms about dating abuse, (c) dating abuse-related prevention-oriented behaviors (e.g., such as posting dating violence prevention messages online), and (d) bystander behaviors including acting as a bystander to prevent peer self-harm, peer bullying, peer intoxication, or peer dating abuse, or being a proactive bystander and initiating conversations about dating abuse prevention with friends and others. Hierarchal linear models (HLMs) indicated that, compared to participants in the control group, participants in the intervention group demonstrated improvement in attitudes [β = .09, p < .001] and had more engagement than controls in prevention-oriented behavior at 8-month follow-up [β = 0.11, p < .01]. Those in the intervention group also reported larger increases than controls in bystander behavior related to peer self-harm, peer bullying, peer intoxication, and starting conversations about dating abuse. Results for dating abuse bystander behavior were mixed. At 4 months, workshop participation was marginally associated with increased bystander behavior with peers who had perpetrated dating abuse (β = 0.89, p = 0.06) and with peers experiencing physical or sexual dating abuse, or stalking or threats (β = 1.11, p = .07). However, workshop participation was not associated with increased bystander behavior with peers experiencing only physical abuse. The Escalation Workshop may be a promising strategy to promote change in dating abuse-related attitudinal change and prevention-oriented behavior, and bystander behavior with peers related to self-harm, bullying, intoxication, and some aspects of dating abuse prevention.

Young People’s Views on Dating Violence Prevention in an Urban Turkish Context: Developing Effective Practices

Dating violence (DV) among young people is increasingly recognized as a significant problem and preventive efforts targeting adolescents and young adults are being mobilized to tackle it. However, an accumulating body of evidence shows that these efforts fail to adequately capture young people’s needs, particularly those from diverse cultures and contexts, and to incorporate their perspectives into practice. The present study aimed to address this gap by exploring young people’s views on how DV can be prevented and what they expect from prevention programs in an urban Turkish context, where DV remains an under-studied issue and preventive efforts are only slowly progressing. Toward this goal, a qualitative research design was employed. Thirty-nine college students, aged 18–25, were recruited through convenience sampling and individually interviewed in a semi-structured manner. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed from a social constructionist perspective. The analysis revealed five main themes that indicated young people’s suggestions for and expectations from DV prevention: 1) setting new dating norms, 2) targeting socialization processes, 3) improving relational competence, 4) improving oneself, and 5) managing obstacles. The findings and practice implications are discussed within a contextual-ecological framework in the changing socio-cultural terrain of Turkey. The study highlights the fact that young people’s views can guide the development of effective, contextually relevant, empowering, and collaborative practices, and indicates the value of listening to young people’s voices in the field of DV prevention.

Correction to: Examining the effects of teen dating violence prevention programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-020-09456-5

Multiple Forms of Sexting and Associations with Psychosocial Health in Early Adolescents.

Despite the recent surge of sexting research, the link between sexting and psychosocial health remains inconclusive. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the link between multiple forms of sexting and a range of psychosocial health problems. Data were from a randomized controlled trial of a school-based dating violence prevention program. Participants were 2199 early adolescents (49.8% female) aged 14 years and under (mean age = 13.53, SD = 0.50) enrolled in middle-schools in southeast Texas. Participants self-reported to be 35.4% Hispanic, 7.9% Non-Hispanic White, 26.2% Non-Hispanic Black, 18.6% Asian, and 11.9% other. Multilevel multivariate regressions found that pressured sexting was associated with hostility and aggressive temperament. Receiving unsolicited sexts was associated with depression, impulsivity, hostility, emotion dysregulation, and aggressive temperament. Forwarding sexts without permission was linked to hostility. Asking someone for sexts was linked to impulsivity and aggressive temperament, while being asked to send a sext was associated with depression, anxiety, impulsivity, hostility, emotion dysregulation, and aggressive temperament. Finally, consensual sexting was not significantly associated with poor psychosocial health of any type. Interventions should focus on preventing pressured sexting and teaching early adolescents on how to respond to being pressured to sext.

Disparities in Adolescent Dating Violence and Associated Internalizing and Externalizing Mental Health Symptoms by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation.

The current study examined the prevalence and mental health associated with physical and sexual dating violence among adolescents using an intersectional analysis. Data were obtained from 88,219 adolescents in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey. Gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and experiences with teen dating violence were measured for each youth. Tested two- and three-way interactions demonstrate varied outcomes by social identification and emphasize the need for an intersectional approach in dating violence research. Adolescent dating violence was most prevalent among girls (10% physical, 13% sexual); adolescents were racially identified as Native North American (13% physical, 10% sexual), Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (12% physical, 14% sexual), or multiracial (11% physical, 12% sexual), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning their sexual orientation (LGBQ) adolescents (19% physical, 20% sexual). The intersectional groups with the highest rates of physical and sexual dating violence included Latinx GBQ boys (26% physical, 26% sexual) and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander GBQ boys (29% physical, 32% sexual). Among girls, highest rates were observed among Hawaiian/Pacific Islander LBQ (24% physical, 23% sexual). Externalizing symptoms associated with physical dating violence were most robust for risky sexual behavior (OR = 4.0), followed by physical fighting (OR = 3.0), and weapon carrying (OR = 2.5); they were also associated with sexual dating violence (ORs = 1.9-2.2). Internalizing symptoms were comparably associated with both types of dating violence (ORs = 2.6-2.9 physical and ORs = 2.4-2.8 sexual). Findings suggest first that an intersectional approach is especially informative in teen dating violence prevention and intervention and second that teen dating violence interventions and prevention programming should use a trauma-informed, gender-responsive, culturally sensitive, and LGBQ inclusive approach.

Dating Violence in an Urban Turkish Context: Listening to Young People from an Intersectional Perspective.

Intersectional approaches have challenged the field of domestic violence to pay more attention to diversity in women's experiences and highlighted the significance of their social contexts and positions, such as class, race, religion, in shaping their understanding of and responses to violence. In the dating violence (DV) literature, a similar call has been made to develop contextualized accounts of DV and to address the heterogeneity of young people through DV prevention programs. Nevertheless, to date, intersectional thinking has not been fully utilized in DV research. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature and investigate how young people make sense of and experience DV from an intersectional perspective in an urban Turkish context. The data for the current study came from individual interviews conducted with 39 college students, aged 18-25. The interviews inquired into how young people understood, explained, and experienced DV. The interviews were analyzed thematically, culminating into four main themes: (a) DV as control, (b) DV as resulting from traditional gender norms, (c) DV as women's fault, and (d) DV-related socialization processes. Some of these main themes were interpreted and experienced differently by the participants depending on their gender and the impact of traditional, Islamic, and egalitarian discourses on their accounts. The result demonstrated nuanced differences in young people's meaning-making perspectives, needs, and vulnerabilities to DV. In the Turkish context, these results are intended to inform the burgeoning field of DV research and to guide the development of diversity-informed, culturally tailored, and context-sensitive prevention practices.

Dating Violence Victimization among Adolescents in Europe: Baseline Results from the Lights4Violence Project.

Dating violence (DV) among adolescents is a public health issue because of its negative health consequences. In this study, we aimed to analyse the prevalence and the psychosocial and socioeconomic risk and protective factors associated DV among male and female adolescents in Europe. It was performed a cross-sectional study based on a non-probabilistic sample of 1555 students aged 13–16 years (2018–2019). The global prevalence of DV victimization was significantly greater among girls than boys (girls: 34.1%, boys: 26.7%; p = 0.012). The prevalence of DV in both girls and boys was greater for those over age 15 (girls: 48.5% p < 0.001; boys: 35.9%; p = 0.019). There was an increased likelihood of DV victimization among girls whose fathers did not have paid employment (p = 0.024), who suffered abuse in childhood, and reported higher Benevolent Sexism [PR (CI 95%): 1.01 (1.00–1.03)] and machismo [1.02 (1.00–1.05)]. In the case of boys, the likelihood of DV increased with abuse in childhood (p = 0.018), lower parental support [0.97 (0.96–0.99)], high hostile sexism scores (p = 0.019), lower acceptance of violence (p = 0.009) and high machismo (p < 0.001). Abuse in childhood was shown to be the main factor associated with being a victim of DV in both population groups, as well as sexism and machismo attitudes. These results may contribute to future DV prevention school programs for both, teenagers and children of elementary school ages.

Alcohol use and dating violence among college students

IntroductionNumerous studies have focused on the association of dating violence (DV) and alcohol use. However, little research has as yet assessed their co-occurrence in short timeframes. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate alcohol use in the two hours preceding DV and in the two hours following DV. MethodCollege students (n=649, 71% females, mean age=19.8) reported their experience of DV and their hazardous drinking on self-administered questionnaires. They also reported their alcohol use in the two hours preceding – as well as following – a specific DV event (i.e. insult between dating partners). ResultsChi-square tests outline that alcohol use in the two hours preceding an insult is associated with alcohol use in the two hours following an insult. Regressions show that higher scores of hazardous drinking puts students at risk of insulting or being insulted in a context of alcohol use. ConclusionThe findings can contribute to DV prevention programs among college students.

Cases of Sexual Assault Prevented in an Athletic Coach-Delivered Gender Violence Prevention Program.

Sexual violence (SV) is pervasive and economically burdensome in the USA. According to the CDC, SV prevention could avert $122,461 in costs per victim of rape, totaling an estimated $3.1 trillion. Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based dating abuse and SV prevention program found to reduce dating abuse and SV perpetration among male high school athletes and dating abuse among middle school athletes. This secondary data analysis of CBIM's high school (N = 1520) and middle school (N = 973) RCTs estimated the incidence of dating abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault that CBIM could prevent as well as the potential cost savings. Ten items measured dating abuse, with a subset measuring sexual assault and sexual harassment, among participants who had ever dated a female. Perpetration measures were dichotomized as present or absent. Maximum likelihood estimates of Poisson-distributed event rates allowed for possible multiple incidents of perpetration per athlete. Among high school athletes, CBIM was associated with a relative reduction of 85 incidents of dating abuse (95%CI 24, 146), 48 incidents of sexual harassment (95%CI 3.8, 92), and 20 incidents of sexual assault (95%CI 1.7, 38) per 1,000 athletes. Results among middle school athletes demonstrated similar, albeit non-significant, trends. Based on the reduction of sexual assaults among high school athletes alone, CBIM may have resulted in $2.4 million reduction in costs per 1000 athletes exposed. CBIM may be associated with significant sexual assault-related cost reductions. Given the low costs and time needed to implement the program, sexual and dating violence prevention programs like CBIM may result in substantial economic benefits.

Relationship Factors Associated With Early Adolescent Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among Latinx Youth in an Agricultural Community.

Latinx early adolescents within the United States are particularly vulnerable to dating violence; yet, little research has examined early dating experiences and violence outside large urban settings. Latinxs, in particular, may experience a unique window of opportunity for dating violence (DV) prevention during early adolescence, based on their trends in risk behavior over the adolescent period. This study extends the current research on dating violence by examining a highly understudied population, Latinx early adolescent girls and boys residing in an agricultural community, by assessing victimization and perpetration, and examining interpersonal-level factors as potential risk and protective factors for violence. Using data from a prospective cohort study of Latinx adolescents with relationship experience (past six months) (N = 296; girls: n = 147; boys: n = 149; mean age: 13.8), we assessed the association between dating relationship characteristics and dating violence victimization and perpetration using modified-Poisson regression models with robust standard errors stratified by gender. In multivariable analyses, we found that girls with gang-affiliated partners, partner-related withdrawal from friends, and girls who had used drugs or alcohol with a partner experienced greater risk for dating violence. Additionally, holding beliefs supportive of female sexual naivete and engaging in and communicating about sexual activity were associated with victimization among girls. No significant associations were found among boys. Findings affirm the need for multilevel DV prevention programming that starts in middle school and addresses social isolation, gang exposure, and traditional Latinx gender-norm beliefs regarding marianismo. These findings underscore the imperative to coordinate dating and gang violence prevention efforts by addressing common co-occurring interpersonal and environmental risk factors, including social isolation and culturally-specific traditional beliefs. Such factors could also assist providers, families, and peers in early identification of Latinx early adolescents at risk for DV, especially in rural contexts where resources are often limited.

Estimating From the Payer Perspective the Implementation Cost of Dating Matters®: A Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model.

"Dating Matters®" is a CDC-developed comprehensive, multi-component teen dating violence (TDV) prevention model, made available to the public in 2019. A longitudinal, multi-site demonstration project found that the model significantly reduced TDV during middle school relative to an evidence-based, single-program intervention (Safe Dates; Niolon et al., 2019), when implemented across 46 middle schools in four high-risk urban areas with predominantly Black (55%) and Hispanic (28%) youth participants. Research on the costs of implementing TDV prevention strategies is limited, despite recognition within the field of prevention science that such data are critical to widespread dissemination. The current study adds to the available literature on the cost of dating violence prevention by estimating the budgetary impact from the payer perspective of implementing the comprehensive Dating Matters model, compared to Safe Dates, at four sites over four school years to inform prevention planning in communities. Total costs of implementing Dating Matters were relatively stable within sites over time but varied greatly between sites (M = $175,452 per year; range = $130,149 to $227,604). The mean per-student cost of Dating Matters was $145.40 but also ranged widely ($20.66 to $324.65) across sites and years. Variation was largely driven by staffing costs and number of students served. As expected, total and per-student costs were substantially lower at all sites for the Safe Dates program (M = $12,148; range = $2,848 to $17,840; $44.81 per student) compared to Dating Matters. This study provides an estimate from the payer perspective to demonstrate the budgetary impact of Dating Matters. These estimates can help inform implementation decisions and planning by potential funders, communities, and organizations as they seek to support and implement effective TDV prevention strategies. It also adds substantially to understanding of the additional costs associated with a move from single-program interventions to community-wide initiatives.

Developing an inclusive Safe Dates program for sexual and gender minority adolescents: A pilot study

IntroductionDespite the prevalence and negative consequences of dating violence among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents, few prevention programs address dating violence for these groups. We describe the adaptation of the evidence-based Safe Dates dating violence prevention program to be inclusive of SGM adolescents and the outcome of a pilot trial of the expanded curriculum implemented in mixed settings serving both SGM and cisgender, heterosexual youth. MethodsFollowing a published framework of curriculum adaptation, we gathered information on SGM adolescents’ needs and adapted Safe Dates materials to address SGM-specific risk factors for, and manifestations of, dating violence. We piloted the adapted program in 11 US schools and organizations serving SGM and cisgender, heterosexual youth (N = 156). The average age of participants was 15.11 years (SD = 2.76) at baseline. Participants were diverse with respect to race/ethnicity (26% Black/African American, 24% Hispanic/Latino, 21% White, 7% American Indian/Native Alaskan, 5% Asian/Pacific Islander), gender (56% female), and SGM status (35% SGM). Multi-level models measured change in scores on a written measure of dating violence knowledge from pre-test to post-test. ResultsDating violence knowledge increased significantly. Improvements did not differ by gender (female-identified versus not female-identified) or SGM status. ConclusionsResults support initial feasibility and efficacy of dating violence prevention programs that include both SGM and cisgender, heterosexual adolescents. The program normalizes diverse SGM identities and encourages participation of youth who are questioning or choosing not to disclose their gender or sexual identities. Larger-scale research should examine effects on dating violence experiences.