Using a domestic and sexual violence prevention advocate to implement a dating violence prevention program with athletes

Abstract

Abstract'Coaching Boys into Men' is an evidence-based dating violence prevention program for coaches to implement with male athletes. A common adaptation of this program is delivery by domestic violence and sexual violence prevention advocates instead of coaches. We explored how this implementer adaptation may influence athlete uptake of program messages and outcomes. Randomly, one school received the program delivered by an advocate while another school received the program delivered by coaches. Athletes completed baseline and follow-up surveys (n ¼ 148), and a subset who received the advocate-led program participated in focus groups (four groups; n ¼ 26). We compared changes in athlete attitudes and behaviors and conducted thematic analyses with qualitative data. We found no significant differences between athletes who received the program from the advocate versus their coaches. Athletes highlighted the advocate's delivery and role as a non-judgmental adult ally as qualities that influenced their uptake of program messages. The acceptability of the advocate-led program may be related to the implementer type along with specific implementer characteristics and delivery methods. Using advocates together with coaches as implementers could increase the reach of this program. Further study of best practices for Coaching Boys into Men adaptation is needed to guide program dissemination and sustainability.

Evaluations of Prevention Programs for Sexual, Dating, and Intimate Partner Violence for Boys and Men: A Systematic Review

“…The 10 reviewed documents (nine peer-reviewed articles and one dissertation) reported on nine evaluation studies of seven distinct programs (see Table 1). Three articles described two studies that assessed the Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) program (Jaime et al, 2016; Miller et al, 2012, 2013). Two articles reported on evaluations of The Men’s Program (Foubert, 2000; Foubert, Newberry, & Tatum, 2007).…”

“…The sample was somewhat diverse racially/ethnically. Jaime et al (2016) used a cluster-randomized approach in which all participants received the CBIM program but compared the program as implemented by either a coach or a community-based violence prevention advocate. One high school was assigned to the coach-led condition and the other to the violence prevention advocate-led comparison condition.…”

“…Only three of the documents representing two distinct studies (Jaime et al, 2016;Miller et al, 2012Miller et al, , 2013, all of which reported on CBIM, examined program effects on an…”

Women’s Healing Journey From Intimate Partner Violence: Establishing Positive Sexuality

“…Primary interventions to target youth and adolescents are needed, as are interventions to prevent male-perpetrated violence and change social norms around toxic masculinity. Meaningful work is currently being done in these areas (Coker, Banyard, & Recktenwald, 2017; Jaime et al, 2016; Niolon et al, 2017; Tolman, Walsh, & Nieves, 2017) and ought to continue in different settings with emphasis on different community groups.…”

Three Cs of Translating Evidence-Based Programs for Youth and Families to Practice Settings

“…CBIM relies on coaches’ existing relationships with their athletes to engage program participants and influence how they receive program messages. Jaime et al (2015) found that one reason a domestic violence advocate was able to deliver CBIM effectively was that he built relationships with athletes through sports (i.e., workouts before practice) prior to and during program implementation. In another example, a process evaluation of the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) program (Franzen, Morrel-Samuels, Reischl, & Zimmerman, 2009) revealed participants’ preferences for younger implementers, in part because participants felt they were able to relate to implementers closer to their age.…”