Program Goals
The Youth Relationships Project was a prevention program that targeted youths who were at risk of becoming involved in abusive relationships. The program took a health promotion approach to prevent violence in adolescent-dating relationships. The goals of the program were to increase youths’ awareness of the signs of an abusive relationship and teach them how to develop healthy, non-abusive relationships with dating partners.
Target Population/Eligibility
To be eligible for the Youth Relationships Project, participants must have been between the ages of 14 and 16 years old and have a history of maltreatment. Youths were not eligible if they required intensive mental health services, had been convicted of crimes against persons, and/or were developmentally delayed. Youths were usually referred to the program by a Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker. The program targeted mid-adolescence, which was seen as the ideal intervention period for dating violence, as it is a critical point between childhood maltreatment experiences and unhealthy, violent dating relationships in adulthood.
Program Activities
The Youth Relationships Project consisted of 18 sessions that focused on teaching youths how to avoid unhealthy, abusive relationships by encouraging them to make informed choices and communicate effectively. The curriculum was divided into three main areas:
- Education and awareness of abuse and power dynamics in close relationships. During these sessions, youths were taught about a variety of abusive behaviors (e.g., woman abuse, homophobia, racism, sexual harassment), with emphasis placed on the power dynamics in heterosexual relationships. They also learned about the responsibilities associated with “personal power” and how privilege impacts dating behaviors.
- Skills development. These sessions explored how societal influences and myths can perpetuate incorrect assumptions and beliefs about interpersonal violence. There was also discussion about the options that are available to avoid abusive situations and the strategies that teens can implement to solve conflicts in healthy, non-violent ways.
- Social action. This last session aimed to inform youths of the community resources that were available to them if they were in unfamiliar or troublesome dating situations. It also attempted to reduce the stigma that surrounds receiving help from social service agencies (such as police or welfare departments) by including activities that increase youths’ comfort with approaching these organizations. Further, there was an empowerment component to this session, which required youths to engage in a community service project that promoted awareness about dating violence.
The sessions were 2 hours each, coeductional, and consisted of approximately 6–10 participants per group. Group sessions were held in a community setting rather than in school. Each session was guided by an intervention manual and led by two co-facilitators (one male and one female), who modeled a healthy relationship. The program was interactive and included guest speakers, videos, behavior rehearsal, visits to community agencies, and a social action project in the community.
Key Personnel
Program facilitators included social workers and community professionals who had experience with youth or persons who commit domestic violence. Facilitators attended a 10-hour, 2-day training seminar that covered the goals and philosophies of the program and provided strategies on how to handle conflicts that may arise with participants. The training seminar also allowed the facilitators to practice implementing the exercises in the manual
Program Theory
The Youth Relationships Project was based on the premise that youths who have histories of maltreatment are more likely to experience aggression, hostility, and diminished problem-solving efficacy in both their peer and romantic relationships (Wolfe et al. 1998; Wolfe et al. 2001). Adolescents with histories of maltreatment may also have internalized domineering and controlling tendencies that can manifest in close relationships (Murphy and Blumenthal 2000). These behaviors may perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of violence, in which maltreated youths are more likely to both perpetrate violence and experience victimization in intimate relationships than their non-maltreated counterparts (Murphy and Blumenthal 2000).
Similarly, theories surrounding interpersonal aggression in romantic relationships emphasize how distorted expectations and deficits in communication/problem-solving skills can lead individuals to justify abusive dating behaviors (Holtzworth-Munroe 1992). Thus, methods of non-violent communication and problem-solving skills were taught during the program to reduce instances of abuse in early romantic relationships.
A critical component of the Youth Relationships Project was that it builds upon skill- and learning-based approaches, as well as feminist theories, to increase youths’ awareness about gender-based violence and power roles. With this knowledge, youths had a better understanding of the societal influences surrounding dating violence, increased competency and skills to build healthy relationships and respond to abusive behaviors, and involvement with community efforts against partner abuse (DePrince et al. 2013).
