Evaluation of Green Dot a Primary Prevention Intervention

Green Dot Across the Bluegrass: Evaluation of a Primary Prevention Intervention

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the statewide application of Green Dot among high schools students. We hypothesize that students in high schools with Green Dot will over time report lower rates of sexual violence (SV) compared with students in comparable high schools randomized not to have Green Dot. This reduction in sexual violence will be mediated through a reduction in social norms supporting sexual violence (measured with violence acceptance scales) and an increase in bystander behaviors.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sex Offenses
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Green Dot Bystander Intevention; Behavioral: Control

Detailed Description

"Green Dot" is a bystander intervention program that empowers students to actively question peer support for sexual violence (SV) and become change agents who play a significant role in preventing sexual violence. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the statewide application of Green Dot among high schools students. We hypothesize that students in high schools with Green Dot will over time report lower rates of SV compared with students in comparable high schools randomized not to have Green Dot. A high school based controlled intervention trial is being used to test the efficacy of Green Dot. Both panel and cohort survey methods will be used to provide baseline and prospective data on student's attitudes supporting SV, bystander behaviors and violence victimization and perpetration. In 13 Kentucky regions, 2 demographically comparable high schools were recruited to participate in Green Dot intervention either as the intervention or control site. Schools were randomly assigned to the intervention. Study Population includes all students in participating high schools invited to complete anonymous panel surveys beginning spring 2010 through 2014. This state-wide, population-based, multi-site controlled intervention trial provides an empirical test of a promising intervention, which, if proven effective, could result in the primary prevention of SV and a reduction in the health and academic consequences of SV.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 89707
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Kentucky
    • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40536-0293
      • University Of Kentucky

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 19 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Only high school students attending the intervention or comparison high schools will be eligible. Two groups will be recruited: those receiving bystanding training and those not receiving such training who may or may not be in the social network of those receiving bystanding training.

Exclusion Criteria:

All other high school students in Kentucky

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Green Dot Bystander Training; Green Dot intervention	Behavioral: Green Dot Bystander Intevention; Intervention allocated at the school level
Active Comparator: Control; Awareness Eduation	Behavioral: Control; Awareness Education

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Average Number of Sexual Assault Events Used (Perpetrated) Per School.	Students self report of sexual assault perpetration averaged at the school level and adjusted for baseline and number of students. Adjustments were made by including baseline measure and number of students as a covariate in the model. Data will be collected at baseline and annually for 4 years.	up to 5 years follow up from baseline intervention
Average Number of Sexual Assaults Experienced (Victimization) Events Per School.	Students self report of sexual assault victimization averaged at the school level and adjusted for baseline and number of students. Adjustments made by including baseline measure and number of students as covariates in models. Data will be collected at baseline and annually for 4 years.	Data will be collected at baseline and annually for 4 years.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Violence Acceptance	Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale measure students' beliefs about rape which may indicate social norms supporting sexual violence. The scale consists of 22 questions scored 1 -5. Were 1 is "strongly agree" and 5 is "strongly disagree". The higher the cumulative score, the more likely the participant is to accept rape myths. 5-item Acceptance of General Dating Violence Scale was used to measure norms supporting dating violence. Scores will range from 1-6, were the higher the score the more likely the participant was to reject dating violence as normal.	Data will be collected at baseline and annually for 4 years.
Increase in Bystanding Behaviors	7 item survey measuring self-reports of students actively engaging their peers in behaviors that may prevent violence. Response options: 0 times, 1-2 times, 3-5 times, 6-9 times, 10 or more times, didn't see or hear someone doing this Above items repeated to measure student observing others doing these behaviors. Data will be presented as the total number of interventions were the bigger the number the more likely the bystander was to intervene on behalf of the victim.	Data will be collected at baseline and annually for 4 years.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Kentucky
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ann L. Coker, PhD, University Of Kentucky

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Coker AL, Bush HM, Cook-Craig PG, DeGue SA, Clear ER, Brancato CJ, Fisher BS, Recktenwald EA. RCT Testing Bystander Effectiveness to Reduce Violence. Am J Prev Med. 2017 May;52(5):566-578. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.01.020. Epub 2017 Mar 6.
• Coker AL, Bush HM, Brancato CJ, Clear ER, Recktenwald EA. Bystander Program Effectiveness to Reduce Violence Acceptance: RCT in High Schools. J Fam Violence. 2019;34(3):153-164. doi: 10.1007/s10896-018-9961-8. Epub 2018 Apr 2.
• Mennicke AM, Bush HM, Brancato CJ, Coker AL. Bystander Program to Reduce Sexual Violence by Witnessing Parental Intimate Partner Violence Status. Am J Prev Med. 2022 Aug;63(2):262-272. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.12.022. Epub 2022 Mar 9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 29, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 13, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): June 14, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 15, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 26, 2019
• Last Verified: February 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 5U01CE001675 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)