Toward a "Dashboard" Indicator of Retention in U.S. Navy Personnel.

Introduction: Retention is a top priority for the U.S. Navy.

Longitudinal Patterns of Electronic Teen Dating Violence Among Middle School Students.

We investigated rates and developmental trends of electronic teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration and victimization overall and by gender. Data were collected from a single cohort of seventh-grade students from four schools using paper-and-pencil surveys administered at 6-month intervals ( = 795). Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and longitudinal growth models to estimate change over time in TDV.

Implementers' Perspectives on Fidelity of Implementation.

Fidelity of implementation is an essential factor in realizing outcomes of evidence-based interventions. Yet perspectives vary on the degree to which fidelity is necessary or desirable, implementers may receive limited guidance on fidelity, and research on implementers' understanding and operationalization of fidelity is lacking. We conducted key informant interviews with 20 individuals who implemented an evidence-based teen dating violence prevention curriculum in seven sites.

What is the role of culture, diversity, and community engagement in transdisciplinary translational science?

Concepts of culture and diversity are necessary considerations in the scientific application of theory generation and developmental processes of preventive interventions; yet, culture and/or diversity are often overlooked until later stages (e.g., adaptation [T3] and dissemination [T4]) of the translational science process.

A latent transition model of the effects of a teen dating violence prevention initiative.

Purpose: Patterns of physical and psychological teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration, victimization, and related behaviors were examined with data from the evaluation of the Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships initiative, a dating violence primary prevention program targeting middle school students.

Methods: Latent class and latent transition models were used to estimate distinct patterns of TDV and related behaviors of bullying and sexual harassment in seventh grade students at baseline and to estimate transition probabilities from one pattern of behavior to another at the 1-year follow-up. Intervention effects were estimated by conditioning transitions on exposure to Start Strong.

Evaluation of the Start Strong initiative: preventing teen dating violence and promoting healthy relationships among middle school students.

Purpose: This study reports on an independent evaluation of Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships, a multicomponent initiative targeting 11- to 14-year-olds. "Start Strong" was designed to focus on the developmental needs of middle school students and to enhance skills and attitudes consistent with promotion of healthy relationships and reduction of teen dating violence (TDV).

Methods: The quasi-experimental evaluation design included data collection from four Start Strong schools and four comparison schools.

Dating violence, bullying, and sexual harassment: longitudinal profiles and transitions over time.

Although there is growing recognition of the problem of dating violence, little is known about how it unfolds among young adolescents who are just beginning to date. This study examined classes (subgroups) and transitions between classes over three time points based on dating violence, bullying, and sexual harassment perpetration and victimization experienced by youth. The sample was ethnically diverse, consisting of 795 seventh-grade students from schools that were part of a multi-site, longitudinal evaluation of a dating violence initiative (50 % female; 27 % White, 32 % African American, 25 % Latino, 16 % other or multiple races).

Interpersonal conflict and referrals to counseling among married soldiers following return from deployment.

Deployment represents a significant potential strain on military families. The impact of postdeployment stresses may be increased if family coping resources are diminished by returning service members' physical injuries, mental health issues, or substance abuse. This article examines the health and mental health correlates of self-reported concerns regarding interpersonal conflict among married soldiers following return from deployment and the likelihood that soldiers acknowledging such concerns are referred to counseling services.

Approaches used by employee assistance programs to address perpetration of intimate partner violence.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are workplace resources available to employees with problems impacting work performance. EAPs are well-positioned to address intimate partner violence (IPV), a major public health problem with workplace impacts. A purposeful sample of 28 EAPs across the United States was surveyed to identify policies and programs to address IPV, including perpetration.

Incapacitated sexual violence involving alcohol among college women: the impact of a brief drinking intervention.

This study assessed the impact of a motivational interviewing (MI) brief alcohol intervention and prior victimization on alcohol-involved sexual victimization experiences. First-year female college students (N = 229) were randomly assigned to an intervention condition: MI, MI with feedback (MIFB), feedback (FB), and assessment only (AO). Findings indicate reduced alcohol use for all conditions and violence for MIFB, with interactions for prior victimization.

Substance use by soldiers who abuse their spouses.

Data on 7,424 soldier spouse abuse offenders were analyzed to determine the prevalence of substance use during abusive incidents, and to examine differences between substance-using and non-substance-using offenders. Results showed that 25% of all offenders used substances during abusive incidents, with males and non-Hispanic Whites being more likely to hav e used substances. Substance-using offenders were more likely to perpetrate physical spouse abuse and more severe spouse abuse.

Employee assistance program services for intimate partner violence and client satisfaction with these services.

Objective: To describe intimate partner violence (IPV) services available through employee assistance programs (EAPs) and determine women's satisfaction with these services.

Methods: A mixed-methods study consisting of semistructured telephone interviews with 28 EAPs about IPV-related services and a national web-based survey of 1765 women regarding their interactions with EAPs when seeking IPV-related assistance. Data were collected in the fall of 2008.

The impact of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence surveillance initiatives.

Child maltreatment (CM) and intimate partner violence (IPV) take a tremendous toll on communities around the world. Despite the impact of CM and IPV, data on their incidence are drawn from disparate sources of varying quality. To improve data resources in these areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention funded state-based IPV and CM surveillance activities in nine states between 1994 and 2005.

Male soldier family violence offenders: spouse and child offenders compared to child offenders.

Army data from 2000 to 2004 were used to compare two groups of married, male, Army soldier, first-time family violence offenders: 760 dual offenders (whose initial incident included both child maltreatment and spouse abuse) and 2,209 single offenders (whose initial incident included only child maltreatment). The majority (81%) of dual offenders perpetrated physical spouse abuse; however, dual offenders were less likely than single offenders to perpetrate physical child abuse (16% vs. 42%) or sexual child abuse (1% vs.

Empowering programs with evaluation technical assistance: outcomes and lessons learned.

Although empowerment evaluation has gained widespread currency, few reports have described its outcomes. This article combines perspectives of participants and technical assistance providers to describe the process and outcomes of the Evaluation Assistance for Sexual Violence Programs project. Participating programs reported substantial enhancements in evaluation capacity, resources devoted to evaluation, and the extent and sophistication of their evaluation practice, as well as numerous examples of the application of evaluation findings to program improvement.

Logic models as a tool for sexual violence prevention program development.

Sexual violence is a growing public health problem, and there is an urgent need to develop sexual violence prevention programs. Logic models have emerged as a vital tool in program development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded an empowerment evaluation designed to work with programs focused on the prevention of first-time male perpetration of sexual violence, and it included as one of its goals, the development of program logic models.

Factors contributing to the effectiveness of four school-based sexual violence interventions.

This study extends past research by examining factors associated with changes in attitudes, knowledge, and intended behaviors related to sexual assault. This study included 1,182 participants from four unique multiple-session school-based sexual violence interventions. Implementation and participant factors examined include single- versus mixed-gender groups, group setting versus classroom lecture setting, and participant gender.

Child maltreatment and substance abuse among U.S. Army soldiers.

Although substance abuse has consistently been linked to child maltreatment, no study to date has described the extent of substance abuse among child maltreatment offenders within the military. Analysis of U.S.

A comparison of men who committed different types of sexual assault in a community sample.

This study extends past research by examining predictors of different types of sexual assault perpetration in a community sample. Computer-assisted self-interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 163 men in one large urban community. As hypothesized, many variables that are significant predictors of sexual assault perpetration in college student samples were also significant predictors in this sample, including empathy, adult attachment, attitudes about casual sex, sexual dominance, alcohol consumption in sexual situations, and peer approval of forced sex.

Family violence in the military: a review of the literature.

Family violence, including both child maltreatment and spouse abuse, is a public health concern in both military and civilian populations. However, there is limited knowledge concerning violence in military families relative to civilian families. This literature review critically reviews studies that examine child maltreatment and spouse abuse among military families and compares family violence in military versus nonmilitary populations.

Cross-Sectional Predictors of Sexual Assault Perpetration in a Community Sample of Single African American and Caucasian Men.

Computer-assisted self-interviews were completed with a random sample of 163 unmarried Caucasian and African American men in a large metropolitan area. Almost a quarter (24.5%) of these men acknowledged committing an act since the age of 14 that met standard legal definitions of attempted or completed rape; an additional 39% had committed another type of sexual assault involving forced sexual contact or verbal coercion.

The role of psychosocial factors in the transition to substance use: are they protective among urban minority adolescents?

Changes in psychosocial risk and protective factors associated with the onset of substance use were examined in a sample of 556 urban public school sixth graders. General linear modeling analyses indicated that students who did not use substances by the end of sixth grade consistently had higher scores on protective factors than did students who were already using substances at the beginning of sixth grade. Students who began to use during the school year were in flux with scores similar to nonusers at Time 1 and scores closer to early users by Time 2.

Report from the CDC: Evaluability assessment of the rape prevention and education program: summary of findings and recommendations.

This paper describes an evaluability assessment of CDC's Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program conducted to establish a baseline description and understanding of the current activities and goals of the program, revisit and update program performance measures, and identify opportunities for CDC to provide training and technical assistance to states. Data were collected using (1) a web-based survey of all state and territory health departments, other government agencies involved in the administration of the program, and sexual assault coalitions, (2) in-depth interviews with the same respondents during site visits to a sample of 14 states, and (3) focus groups in 5 of these states with local providers. This paper highlights the findings and summarizes recommendations to improve the program.

Explicating alcohol's role in acquaintance sexual assault: complementary perspectives and convergent findings.

This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium presented at the 2004 meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There were four presentations and a discussant. The symposium was co-chaired by Tina Zawacki and Jeanette Norris.