Safe Dates
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
Safe Dates is a school-based program designed to stop or prevent the initiation of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse on dates or between individuals involved in a dating relationship. Safe Dates is intended for middle and high school students of both genders, 12 to 18 years of age. The program aims to change adolescent dating violence norms, change adolescent gender-role norms, improve conflict resolution skills for dating relationships, promote victim and perpetrator's beliefs in need for help and awareness of community resources for dating violence, promote help-seeking by victims and perpetrators, and improve peer help-giving skills. Safe Dates consists of five components: a ten-session curriculum, a play about dating abuse and violence, a poster contest, parent materials, and an evaluation questionnaire. In some studies, the program incorporated a booster session.
Goal / Mission
The goals of the program are to increase students’ awareness of what constitutes healthy versus abusive dating relationships; to increase students’ awareness of dating abuse as well as its causes and consequences; to equip students with the skills and resources to help themselves or friends in abusive dating relationships; and to equip students with the skills to develop healthy dating relationships, including positive communication, anger management, and conflict resolution.
Impact
Safe Dates educates and equips youth to identify, address, and mitigate abusive and violent dating relationships.
Results / Accomplishments
Over 140,000 individuals have participated in the intervention and numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate its effectiveness.
In one study, Safe Dates participants reported statistically significant decreases in psychological abuse perpetration at all four follow-up points, relative to adolescents in the comparison condition (p < .001). In addition, Safe Dates participants reported statistically significant decreases in sexual abuse perpetration against a dating partner at all four follow-up points, relative to adolescents in the comparison condition (p < .05). Statistically significant differences were also found in self-reported perpetration of severe physical abuse between adolescents who participated in Safe Dates and those in the comparison condition.
This program has proven promising for reducing disruptive behavior disorders and externalizing/antisocial behaviors. Based on one study and three measures, the average effect size is .18 (95% CI: .10, .22). It has also proven practicing for reducing victimization and maltreatment. Based on one study and three measures, the average effect size is .11 (95% CI: .03, .15).
In one study, Safe Dates participants reported statistically significant decreases in psychological abuse perpetration at all four follow-up points, relative to adolescents in the comparison condition (p < .001). In addition, Safe Dates participants reported statistically significant decreases in sexual abuse perpetration against a dating partner at all four follow-up points, relative to adolescents in the comparison condition (p < .05). Statistically significant differences were also found in self-reported perpetration of severe physical abuse between adolescents who participated in Safe Dates and those in the comparison condition.
This program has proven promising for reducing disruptive behavior disorders and externalizing/antisocial behaviors. Based on one study and three measures, the average effect size is .18 (95% CI: .10, .22). It has also proven practicing for reducing victimization and maltreatment. Based on one study and three measures, the average effect size is .11 (95% CI: .03, .15).
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
University of North Carolina
Primary Contact
Topics
Community / Domestic Violence & Abuse
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Adolescent Health
Organization(s)
University of North Carolina
Source
SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)
Date of publication
2005
Location
North Carolina
For more details
Target Audience
Children, Teens