Assessing the effectiveness of interventions for children exposed to violence: Findings from the national evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches

• In Event: Intervening for Children’s Violence Exposure: Findings from the National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches

Abstract

In Phase 2 of OJJDP’s Safe Start Promising Approaches initiative, we evaluated the efficacy of interventions addressing issues for children and families exposed to violence. The 10 sites are diverse in their intervention approaches, type of violence exposure targeted, and implementation settings. Sites were funded for 4 years of study enrollment and data collection, following a detailed ‘green light’ process to get ready for the project. To evaluate the effectiveness of each approach in reducing the harmful effects of violence, we developed a rigorous controlled evaluation design at each site, either with a randomized control group or a comparison group selected on similar characteristics. Longitudinal data was collected for analysis of the impact of these programs on child outcomes, including violence exposure, behavior, mental health, and family functioning. All sites will complete data collection by June 2016, and preliminary analyses are already underway. This paper will describe the overall initiative and study, summarize child-level violence exposure and caregiver-level victimization among the families in the study, examine changes over in time for key outcomes, and assess program effectiveness for sites powered to detect an intervention effect.

Authors

• Dana Schultz, RAND

• Lisa Jaycox, RAND