A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial of Mentoring to Prevent Youth Violence

The purpose of this study is to test whether a violence prevention curriculum delivered by Big Brothers and Big Sisters staff and mentors can reduce violence involvement for assault-injured youth.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Violence Disease Attributes Emergencies Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

10 year–15 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

About this study

Violent injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents. The presence of a positive adult role model is a well-established protective factor against violence and other maladaptive outcomes among youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is the largest U.S. mentoring organization with proven effectiveness in improving youth outcomes. However, these programs may be less effective with youth who already are exhibiting involvement in problem behavior at the time of program referral. Take Charge!, a mentor- and professional-implemented intervention with 10-15 year old assault-injured youth, showed promise for improving perceived self efficacy for avoiding violence and for decreasing aggression and problem behavior.

The overall goal of the proposed project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a research-informed youth development program that adapts the BBBS model to work for assault-injured youth. The aims are:

To expand and refine Take Charge! and integrate it with BBBS practices;
To conduct a randomized, controlled trial in which assault-injured 10-15 year old youth recruited from emergency departments in Baltimore and D.C. receive either standard emergency department follow-up care or the Take Charge! 2 intervention with assessment of violence-related, mental health, and educational outcomes;
To conduct a comprehensive process evaluation of Take Charge! 2;
And to accurately measure the costs of the intervention and assess cost-effectiveness.

Youth violence is a major cause of morbidity and mortality with marked disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. This study is a critical next step in translating evidence-based research to real-world settings and practice.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Treatment for an assault injury in the emergency room
English speaking (parent and youth)

Exclusion criteria

Treatment for child abuse, sexual abuse, sibling fights, or police fights
Severe psychopathology

Treatment and study plan

Take Charge 2

Behavioral

Youth assigned to the intervention receive a Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS) mentor. During the match process, BBBS staff provide 3 session on violence prevention for the youth's parents. Six months into the mentoring relationship, mentors provide 6 sessions on violence prevention for the youth.

Primary outcomes

Fighting

Time frame: Past 30 days

Have you been in a physical fight in the past 30 days?

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Registry information

Official study title

Take Charge 2- A Multi-Center Randomized Trial of Mentoring to Prevent Youth Violence: Incorporating New Communication and Information Technology

Acronym: TC2

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2018
Study completion: 2018
First posted: Jan 18, 2013
Registry last updated: Oct 9, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed