Violence Prevention

Forcibly displaced women and their male partners experience compounding social and structural vulnerabilities to intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health challenges, yet rigorous studies or examples of evidence-based interventions that seek to prevent and reduce IPV and mental health problems among forcibly displaced populations (FDPs) who seek asylum and rebuild their lives in the United States (US) are scarce. Guided by the the Assessment, Decision, Adaptation, Production, Topical experts-integration, Training, and Testing (ADAPT-ITT) framework, Cascade Implementation Framework, and NIMH experimental therapeutics approach, we propose to address this gap in research and practice by (1) adapting the Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) curriculum for US-based FD Congolese couples, (2) using a hybrid type 2 pilot study design to explore preliminary effects of EA$E-US on IPV, mental health outcomes and intermediary outcomes, and (3) examining implementation processes and outcomes

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of YES-IDEAS (YES: Innovative Discussion for Engagement, Achievement, and Service)compared to regular after school programming in increasing youth empowerment, promoting positive behaviors, and decreasing youth violence. Through the evidence-based YES (Youth Empowerment Solutions) program, youth design and implement projects to help improve their communities. In the current study, investigators adapted the existing YES curriculum to empower youth from diverse backgrounds to reduce violent behavior. The adapted curriculum, YES-IDEAS, focus on middle school students. The investigators test the effects of YES-IDEAS curriculum on youths' sense of empowerment, attitudes, and violent behavior. They designed the study to be a group-randomized trial in after-school programs across multiple middle schools in south-east Michigan, but issues that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other practical issues with the schools we modified the design to be a matched control group design at the school level. Matching variables included size, geographic locations, race/ethnicity, free/reduced lunch status. Dose-response and sustainability of YES-IDEAS effects are also examined.

The Communities Care (CC) program has demonstrated promise in changing harmful social norms associated with Gender-based violence (GBV) and increasing confidence in services for women and girls. Therefore, the study will adapt the existing CC program based on previous learnings with adults and expand programming to include adolescent boys and girls, creating the CC adult and CC adolescent program. The CC program intervention implementation will be led by Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (CISP) non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in partnership with Somalia Ministry of Education and local Women led Organizations (WLO), public schools and mapped GBV and child protection (CP) service providers in Banadir and Galmudug regions of Somalia. Johns Hopkins will collaborate with local research colleagues to evaluate the CC adult and CC adolescent program. The study will use a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation design guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Quantitative methods will be used to measure outcomes at baseline and endline (24 months post baseline) with adults and adolescents (10 and older) participants in the CC programs in intervention compared to control districts in the two regions (Banadir and Galmudug) in South Central Somalia. Quantitative methods will also be used to measure outcomes with adults and adolescents (10 years and older) community members (members that do not participate in the CC program) in intervention and control districts in the 2 regions at baseline, midline (12-months), endline (24-months) and maintenance (36 months). In addition, quantitative and qualitative methods at midline and endline will be used to measure the CC adult and CC adolescent intervention reach, adoption, implementation and maintenance in intervention districts in the two regions.