Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Among Teen Mothers: A Pilot Study

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among teens who are pregnant or parenting, the field is lacking evidence-based prevention programs designed for this population. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively adapt the evidence-based Safe Dates IPV prevention program and conduct a pilot study of the adapted program with female teens who were pregnant or parenting. We completed formative research including a literature review, focus groups, and pre-testing of adapted content to inform the revised curriculum. We then conducted a randomized controlled trial with 32 teens (average age = 17) to compare the adapted program to the original program on implementation characteristics and outcomes, including IPV perpetration and victimization. Directions of effect favored the adapted program over the original program for 18 out of 21 implementation outcomes for which models could be estimated and for 11 of 12 participant outcomes. The strongest effects, all favoring the adapted program, were found for observer-reported adherence to the curriculum, participant ratings of the relevance of characters and scenarios, participant knowledge of ways to get help for abuse, and attitudes toward IPV. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of the adapted program for this target population and suggest that the program may be efficacious when evaluated in a larger study.

Highlights

  • Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common among teens who are pregnant or parenting, but IPV prevention programs have not been tailored for this population.

  • This study adapted and pilot tested an IPV prevention program for teen mothers using a randomized controlled trial.

  • Feasibility, acceptability, and participant outcomes were better for the adapted program than for the original program.

  • Results suggest advantages in carefully adapting IPV prevention programs to address unique needs of teen mothers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Black, M. M., Papas, M. A., Hussey, J. M., Dubowitz, H., Kotch, J. B., & Starr, Jr., R. H. (2002). Behavior problems among preschool children born to adolescent mothers: effects of maternal depression and perceptions of partner relationships. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31, 16–26. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15374424JCCP3101_04.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Born, A. (2012). Relationship violence and teenage parents. Journal of Infant, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, 11, 368–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briere, J., & Runtz, M. (2002). The Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities (IASC): a standardized measure of identity, affect regulation, and relationship disturbance. Assessment, 9, 230–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunting, L., & McAuley, C. (2004). Research review: teenage pregnancy and parenthood: the role of fathers. Child and Family Social Work, 9, 295–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Knoble, N. B., Shortt, J. W., & Kim, H. K. (2012). A systematic review of risk factors for intimate partner violence. Partner Abuse, 3, 231–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, L. E., Allen, R. H., Goyal, V., Raker, C., & Gottlieb, A. S. (2014). Reproductive coercion and co-occurring intimate partner violence in obstetrics and gynecology patients. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 210, e1–e8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. 2nd ed. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conners, N. A., Bradley, R. H., Mansell, L. W., Liu, J. Y., Roberts, T. J., Burgdorf, K., & Herrell, J. M. (2003). Children of mothers with serious substance abuse problems: an accumulation of risks. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 29, 743–758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Covington, D. L., Justason, B. J., & Wright, L. N. (2001). Severity, manifestations, and consequences of violence among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 28, 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doss, B. D., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009). The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: an 8-year prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 601–619. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013969.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrensaft, M. K., Cohen, P., Brown, J., Smailes, E., Chen, H., & Johnson, J. G. (2003). Intergenerational transmission of partner violence: a 20-year prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 741–753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blasé, K. A., Friedman, R. M., & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Florsheim, P., McArthur, L., Hudak, C., Heavin, S., & Burrow-Sanchez, J. (2011). The Young Parenthood Program: preventing intimate partner violence between adolescent mothers and young fathers. Journal of Couple Relationship Therapy, 10, 117–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foshee, V. A., Bauman, K. E., Arriaga, X. B., Helms, R. W., Koch, G. G., & Linder, G. F. (1998). An evaluation of Safe Dates, an adolescent dating violence prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 45–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foshee, V., Bauman, K. E., Ennett, S. T., Suchindran, C., Benefield, T., & Linder, G. F. (2005). Assessing the effects of the dating violence prevention program “Safe Dates” using random coefficient regression modeling. Prevention Science, 6, 245–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foshee, V. A., Linder, G. F., Bauman, K. E., Langwick, S. A., Arriaga, X. B., Heath, J. L., McMahon, P. M., & Bangdiwala, S. (1996). The Safe Dates Project: theoretical basis, evaluation design, and selected baseline findings. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 12, 39–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foshee, V., & Reyes, H. L. M. (2009). Primary prevention of adolescent dating abuse: when to begin, whom to target, and how to do it. In D. J. Whitaker & J. R. Lutzker (Eds.), Preventing partner violence: research and evidence-based intervention strategies (pp. 141–168). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Galambos, N. L., Petersen, A. C., Richards, M., & Gitelson, I. B. (1985). The Attitudes Towards Women Scale for Adolescents (AWSA): a study of reliability and validity. Sex Roles, 13, 343–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrykissoon, S. D., Rickert, V. I., & Wiemann, C. M. (2002). Prevalence and patterns of intimate partner violence among adolescent mothers during the postpartum period. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 156, 325–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrman, J. W. (2013). How teen mothers describe dating violence. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 42(4), 462–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/1552-6909.12228.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herrman, J. W., Palen, L.-A., Kan, M., Feinberg, M., Hill, J., Magee, E., & Haigh, K. M. (2019). Young mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of relationship violence: a focus group study. Violence Against Women, 25(3), 274–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218780356.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herrman, J. W., & Waterhouse, J. K. (2014). A feasibility study to assess the effectiveness of Safe Dates for teen mothers. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 43, 695–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, A. C. (2006). Urban adolescent mothers exposed to community, family, and partner violence: prevalence, outcomes, and welfare policy implications. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 44–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, A. C., & Bennett, L. (2006). Urban adolescent mothers exposed to community, family, and partner violence: is cumulative violence exposure a barrier to school performance and participation? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 750–773. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260506287314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., & Turner, L. A. (2012). The efficacy of an intimate partner violence prevention program with high-risk adolescent girls: a preliminary test. Prevention Science, 13, 384–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindhorst, T., & Oxford, M. (2008). The long-term effects of intimate partner violence on adolescent mothers’ depressive symptoms. Social Science and Medicine, 66, 1322–1333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez, F. G., Morúa, W., & Rice, K. G. (2007). Factor structure, stability, and predictive validity of college students’ relationship self-efficacy beliefs. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 40, 80–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milan, S. J., Lewis, J. B., Ethier, K., Kershaw, T., & Ickovics, J. (2005). Relationship violence among adolescent mothers: frequency, dyadic nature, and implications for relationship dissolution and mental health. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 302–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, D. R., & Florsheim, P. (2008). Interpartner conflict and child abuse risk among African American and Latino adolescent parenting couples. Child Abuse and Neglect, 32, 463–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nation, M., Crusto, C., Wandersman, A., Kumpfer, K. L., Seybolt, D., Morrissey-Kane, E., & Davino, K. (2003). What works in prevention. Principles of effective prevention programs. American Psychologist, 58, 449–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman, B. S., & Campbell, C. (2011). Intimate partner violence among pregnant and parenting Latina adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26, 2635–2657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niolon, P. H., Kearns, M., Dills, J., Rambo, K., Irving, S., Armstead, T., & Gilbert, L. (2017). Preventing intimate partner violence across the lifespan: a technical package of programs, policies, and practices. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, B., MacFarlane, J., & Soeken, K. (1994). Abuse during pregnancy: effects on maternal complications and birth weight in adult and teenage women. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 84, 323–328.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Picard, P. (2007). Tech abuse in teen relationships study. http://www.loveisrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/liz-claiborne-2007-tech-relationship-abuse.pdf.

  • Raphael, J. (2006). Teens having babies: the unexplored role of domestic violence. The Prevention Researcher, 12, 15–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riger, S., Ahrens, C., & Blickenstaff, A. (2000). Measuring interference with employment and education reported by women with abusive partners: preliminary data. Violence and Victims, 15, 161–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, T. A., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D. (2006). Predictors of partner abuse in a nationally representative sample of adolescents involved in heterosexual dating relationships. Violence and Victims, 21, 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shepard, M. F., & Campbell, J. A. (1992). The Abusive Behavior Inventory: a measure of psychological and physical abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 291–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., & Clements, K. (2004). Dating violence and associated sexual risk and pregnancy among adolescent girls in the United States. Pediatrics, 114(2), e220–e225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stith, S. M., Smith, D. B., Penn, C. E., Ward, D. B., & Tritt, D. (2004). Intimate partner physical abuse perpetration and victimization risk factors: a meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10, 65–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A., Hamby, S. L., Boney-McCoy, S., & Sugarman, D. B. (1996). The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/019251396017003001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, C. A., Guteman, N. B., Lee, S. J., & Rathouz, J. O. (2009). Intimate partner violence, maternal stress, nativity, and risk for maternal maltreatment of young children. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 175–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vagi, K. J., Rothman, E. F., Latzman, N. E., Tharp, A. T., Hall, D. M., & Breiding, M. J. (2013). Beyond correlates: a review of risk and protective factors for adolescent dating violence perpetration. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 633–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Camp, T., Hébert, M., Guidi, E., Lavoie, F., & Blais, M. (2014). Teens’ self-efficacy to deal with dating violence as victim, perpetrator or bystander. International Review of Victimology, 20, 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269758014521741.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Weinstein, N. (1988). Effects of personal experience on self-protective behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 105, 31–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wingood, G. M., & DiClemente, R. J. (2008). The ADAPT-ITT model: a novel method of adapting evidence-based HIV interventions. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 47(Suppl 1), S40–S46. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181605df1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Marni L. Kan, Lori-Ann Palen, Jennifer L. Hill & Jessica D. Williams

  2. University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    Judith W. Herrman

  3. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Mark E. Feinberg

Authors
  1. Marni L. Kan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lori-Ann Palen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer L. Hill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Judith W. Herrman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jessica D. Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mark E. Feinberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

M.L.K.: designed and executed the study, led the data analyses, and wrote the paper. L.-A.P.: collaborated on the study design, compiled measurement instruments, and assisted with writing and review of the paper. J.L.H.: collaborated on executing the study and assisted with writing the paper. J.W.H.: collaborated on study design and on writing and editing the paper. J.D.W.: led study data collection and collaborated on writing sections of the paper. M.E.F.: collaborated on study design and editing of the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marni L. Kan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the (RTI International) research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kan, M.L., Palen, LA., Hill, J.L. et al. Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Among Teen Mothers: A Pilot Study. J Child Fam Stud 30, 87–97 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01831-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01831-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation