Safe Dates—Physical Violence Victimization is an evidence–based program designed to prevent teen dating violence. The program is designed to help teens understand the warning signs of physical violence, recognize the dynamics of power and control in relationships, and develop healthy relationship skills. It also teaches teens how to recognize and respond to warning signs of physical violence in their relationships. The program includes three components: a 10–session classroom curriculum, a theater performance, and a parent/guardian program. The classroom curriculum is designed to be taught over 10 sessions, and it focuses on helping teens understand the dynamics of power and control in relationships, recognize the warning signs of physical violence, and develop healthy relationship skills. The theater performance is designed to reinforce the classroom curriculum and to engage teens in a discussion about dating violence. The parent/guardian program provides information about the dynamics of power and control in relationships, and it helps parents/guardians to recognize the warning signs of physical violence and to respond appropriately. The program is designed to be implemented in a variety of settings, including schools, youth organizations, and community organizations. It is designed to be culturally relevant and is available in both English and Spanish. The program has been evaluated in a number of studies, and the results have shown that it is effective in reducing physical violence victimization among teens.
1. Scratched me
2. Slapped me
3. Physically twisted my arm
4. Slammed me or held me against a wall
5. Kicked me
6. Bent my fingers
7. Bit me
8. Tried to choke me
9. Pushed‚ grabbed‚ or shoved me
10. Dumped me out of a car
11. Threw something at me that hit me
12. Burned me
13. Hit me with a fist
14. Hit me with something hard besides a fist
15. Beat me up
16. Assaulted me with a knife or gun
- victimization
- relationships
This instrument can be found on page 22 of Measuring Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration: A Compendium of Assessment Tools‚ available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/IPV_Compendium.pdf
Point values are assigned as follows:
3= 10 or more times
2= 4 to 9 times
1= 1 to 3 times
0= Never
Scoring Instructions
Point values are indicated above. The physical victimization scale score is calculated by summing the point values of the 16 responses. The mean value can also be obtained by dividing the summed responses by the number of items (16). Higher scores are indicative of greater abuse. Scores can also be categorized such that “0” = no physical victimization‚ “1” = victimization occurred 1 to 3 times‚ and “2” indicates victimization occurred 3 or more times.
Foshee VA‚ Bauman KE‚ Arriaga XB‚ Helms RW‚ Koch GG‚ Linder GF. An evaluation of Safe Dates‚ an adolescent dating violence program. American Journal of Public Health 1998;88:45–50.
Foshee VA‚ Linder GF‚ Bauman KE‚ et al. The Safe Dates project: theoretical basis‚ evaluation design‚ and selected baseline findings. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 1996;12:39–47.