Evaluation of Violence Prevention Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Community Levels of Youth Violence

June 29, 2026 updated by: Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Healthy Communities for Youth: Evaluation of Violence Prevention Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Community Levels of Youth Violence

The goal of this research study is to implement and evaluate a comprehensive community-level approach, Healthy Communities for Youth, that includes both a selective hospital-based prevention strategy, Emerging Leaders, and universal prevention strategies that increase Positive Youth Development opportunities through participatory action research, stakeholder education, community mobilization, and an overall focus on increasing community capacity for prevention. Key project aims are to evaluate the impact of Healthy Communities for Youth on community rates of youth violence using surveillance data and evaluate the impact of each violence prevention strategy on proximal outcomes including their impact on risk factors and protective processes related to multiple forms of youth violence.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This project focuses on three communities in Richmond selected based on US Census Bureau block groups and their high rates of youth violence and concentrated poverty. The community-level effects of implementing the comprehensive community-level approach will be evaluated using a multiple baseline design. The three communities were randomly assigned such that the intervention would begin in one community starting in the fourth quarter of Year 1, a second community in the fourth quarter of Year 2, and the third community will represent a no-intervention control community receiving training and technical assistance at the end of the project. Analyses will be conducted on community-level surveillance data on violence-related variables to determine if the introduction of the community-level intervention within each community is associated with subsequent changes in outcome measures.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
3390

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Virginia
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298
        • Virginia Commonwealth University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

PAR-SEED Method:

Inclusion criteria:

  • Community residents, youth aged 12-17 and parents, living in one of the intervention communities (Community A and Community B)
  • Stakeholders who reside or work in one of the intervention communities (Community A and Community B) or who contribute other expertise
  • Be able to consent/assent

Exlcusion criteria:

  • Those who do not meet the inclusion criteria
  • Those with limited English proficiency

Emerging Leaders:

Inclusion criteria:

  • Violently injured or high-risk youth that have either received or are receiving treatment or had a family member or relative receive treatment at VCU Health, or who live in one of the intervention communities, or have been referred by a community partner.
  • Aged 14 through 24
  • Reside in one of the two intervention communities (Community A and Community B) or in the control community (Community C)
  • Be able to consent/assent

Exclusion criteria:

  • Youth younger than 14 and older than 24 will be excluded.
  • Prisoners will be excluded.
  • Those living outside our community boundaries will be excluded.

PAR/Youth Voices:

Inclusion criteria:

  • Youth in grades 9 through 12
  • Reside in one of the intervention communities (Community A and Community B) and attend the designated high school(s) serving that community (Community A or Community B)
  • Be able to consent/assent

Exclusion criteria:

  • Youth in grades below 9th
  • Youth who have graduated from high school
  • Youth recruited for School A, cannot reside in the catchment areas for Communities B or C. Youth recruited for School B, cannot reside in the catchment areas for Communities A or C. Youth recruited for School C, cannot reside in the catchment areas for Communities A or B.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Community A
Behavioral: PAR - the SEED Method
The SEED Method is an evidence-based Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that engages youth and adult stakeholders in collective decision-making and action in supporting PYD opportunities in their communities.
Behavioral: PAR-Youth Voices
Youth Voices is a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive PAR approach designed for African American adolescents. The curriculum relies on frameworks including sociopolitical development (e.g., civic engagement and social justice), racial socialization, and racial identity development. Youth Voices will be implemented in high schools serving the intervention communities.
Behavioral: Emerging Leaders hospital-based intervention
Emerging Leaders is a violence prevention strategy that provides evidence-based intervention and resources for high-risk youth and their families in the youth's home and community. Emerging Leaders consists of four core components to prevent violence: (1) brief hospital-based violence intervention, (2) 3-months of community case management, (3) an in-home firearm safety counseling program, and (4) an 8-week youth positive development workshop series.
Experimental: Community B
Behavioral: PAR - the SEED Method
The SEED Method is an evidence-based Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that engages youth and adult stakeholders in collective decision-making and action in supporting PYD opportunities in their communities.
Behavioral: PAR-Youth Voices
Youth Voices is a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive PAR approach designed for African American adolescents. The curriculum relies on frameworks including sociopolitical development (e.g., civic engagement and social justice), racial socialization, and racial identity development. Youth Voices will be implemented in high schools serving the intervention communities.
Behavioral: Emerging Leaders hospital-based intervention
Emerging Leaders is a violence prevention strategy that provides evidence-based intervention and resources for high-risk youth and their families in the youth's home and community. Emerging Leaders consists of four core components to prevent violence: (1) brief hospital-based violence intervention, (2) 3-months of community case management, (3) an in-home firearm safety counseling program, and (4) an 8-week youth positive development workshop series.
No Intervention: Community C

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
23 item measures of aggression and antisocial behavior
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Beliefs About Aggression and Alternatives (BAA)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
12 item measures that uses a 4-point Likert scale to assess agreement and disagreement on items involving the use of aggression
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Firearm Aggression Questionnaire (FAQ)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Self-report assessments of violence involving firearms
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Gun Violence Questionnaire (GVQ)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Self-report assessments of violence involving firearms
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Peer Pressure for Fighting (PPF)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
A questionnaire about peer pressure for fighting is a subscale derived from the Problem Behavior Frequency Scales-Adolescent Report
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Youth Dating Violence Questionnaire (YDVQ)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
21 item measure that assesses youth dating violence perpetration
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Engagement in Community Advocacy
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks later
Youth report on the frequency with which they have engaged in these specified community advocacy activities.
Baseline and 17 weeks later
Orientation to Community Advocacy
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks later
Youth report on how much they agree with statements that indicate and orientation of working cooperatively with others for community advocacy and change.
Baseline and 17 weeks later
Emotional Motivation to Engage in Community Advocacy
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks later
Youth report on how much they agree with statements about feeling anger in the face of thinking about and learning about social injustice and the extent to which they engage in specific emotion regulation strategies when feeling this anger.
Baseline and 17 weeks later
Civic Engagement
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks later
Youth report on how important it is to have certain social responsibility and political beliefs, the frequency with which they volunteer, their voting intentions in the future, and their news consumption.
Baseline and 17 weeks later
Critical Consciousness
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks later
Youth report on how much they agree with statements that reflect the awareness, perception, and reflection on societal experiences of inequality.
Baseline and 17 weeks later

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Developmental Assets Profile (DAP)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
58 item measure that was developed for youth aged 11-18 to assess the strengths and qualities that are believed to promote resilience and positive development.
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
189 item survey that assesses hyperactivity, aggression, conduct problems, and executive function in youth. It also assesses anxiety, depression, attention and learning problems, as well as the lack of certain essential skills
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months after baseline
It is a 10-item measure intended to assess 10 types of childhood adversity in three different areas of abuse, including emotional and physical abuse, physical neglect, and abuse associated with living in a dysfunctional household. An ACE Score of 0 suggest that the person reported no exposure to childhood trauma. An ACE Score of 10 suggests that the person reported exposure to childhood trauma. The higher the ACE Score, the greater the likelihood that a person will develop one or more of the following health problems: ischemic heart disease, cancer, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, hepatitis or jaundice skeletal fractures, diabetes, smoking, sexually transmitted diseases , depression, etc.Measure administered to determine emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; emotional and physical neglect; and growing up with domestic violence, parental marital discord, substance abuse, mental illness, and incarceration of a household member experienced during the first 18 years of life
Baseline and 6 months after baseline
Research skills & Orientation Toward Research
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report on the extent to which they know how to use certain research skills and whether they believe that research skills can be useful for community change.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Leadership Skills
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report on the extent to which they believe they possess certain leadership skills.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Orientation Toward Leadership
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report on how much they agree that they have the capacity and responsibility to engage in leadership behaviors.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Ethnic-Racial Identity
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report on their own views about being a member of their ethnic-racial group, how central their ethnic-racial group membership is to their identity, and how they think others view people of their ethnic-racial group.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Social and Emotional Skills
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report on how easy or difficult it is for them to engage in certain positive social and emotional behaviors.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Involvement in Youth Oriented Activities
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report their participation and frequency of participation in 25 types of youth-oriented activities at school or in the community.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Satisfaction & Experiences in the Youth Voices Program
Time Frame: Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline
Youth report their overall satisfaction, perception, and important experiences from participating in the Youth Voices program and working together in a group.
Baseline and 17 weeks after baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Virginia Commonwealth University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Terri Sullivan, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 16, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 4, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 18, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 19, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HM20023324
  • 5U01CE003379 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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