Strengthening Connections for Change: A Pilot Cluster-Randomized Trial of an Adolescent-Adult Social Network-Based...

Youth violence remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Social network-based interventions offer opportunities to strategically leverage relationships to reduce youth violence. This study evaluates feasibility and acceptability of a social network-based intervention aimed at strengthening adolescent-adult relationships.

We conducted a parallel arm cluster-randomized trial evaluating a 12-session adolescent-adult social network-based intervention (Strengthening Connections for Change [SCC]) compared to a control condition (job skills training) across 4 neighborhood sites. Participants included youth aged 13-17 years and adults identified by youth as key supports. Our primary outcomes were feasibility (measured with session attendance) and acceptability (measured with satisfaction ratings). Exploratory outcomes included changes in social network characteristics and violence-related attitudes and behaviors from baseline to end-of-program (EOP). We used descriptive statistics for primary outcomes. Generalized linear mixed models assessed intervention effects on secondary outcomes using an intention-to-treat approach.

A total of 63 youth (SCC: n = 34; control: n = 29) participated across 4 sites. Youth attendance was similar across study arms; adult engagement was variable. Satisfaction was high for both conditions. Youth in both study arms had increases in relationship strength, decreases in past-month violence victimization, and decreases in violence-related attitudes from baseline to EOP. Compared to control, SCC showed greater increases in network density and decreases in violence perpetration from baseline to EOP.

SCC is feasible and acceptable for youth and their adult supports and may have potential to reduce violence. Future large-scale evaluations of SCC can guide strategies to cultivate meaningful adolescent-adult relationships in violence prevention programs.