An interventional study of Creating Peace and Job Readiness in Adolescent Behavior, Group, Peer and Violence, Non-accidental, sponsored by University of Pittsburgh. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 14 Years to 19 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-16.
Sponsored by University of Pittsburgh · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This cluster-randomized community-partnered study will examine the effectiveness of a trauma-sensitive, gender transformative youth violence prevention program called Creating Peace that integrates racism and discrimination prevention with youth ages 14-19.
This community-partnered cluster-randomized controlled trial will examine the effectiveness of a trauma-sensitive, gender-transformative youth violence prevention program that integrates racism and discrimination prevention.
Set in 24 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with concentrated social and economic disadvantage, this study addresses gender and racial injustice through a series of group discussions, bringing together adolescents ages 14-19 with law enforcement officers in a process of social restoration.
Exclusion Criteria:
Creating Peace uses a group discussion format with activities that explore race, gender, sexual identity, and social class. Creating Peace is a 12 session curriculum designed to support youth ages 14-19 in healing from experiences of trauma by restoring social connections, strengthening positive coping strategies that exclude all forms of violence, challenging gender norms that foster violence perpetration, and practicing positive bystander intervention skills to intervene safely with peers' disrespectful and harmful behaviors. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 4 to 12 week period, Creating Peace offers gender transformative content combined with youth leadership development. Near program conclusion, youth will offer guidance to law enforcement on interacting with youth in a process of social restoration.
Behavioral: Creating Peace
Job Readiness Training uses a group discussion format to learn specific skills to prepare for employment including developing goals, seeking jobs, preparing for interviews, and so forth. Participants receive a 12 session job readiness training with linkages to businesses and employment opportunities. Discussions include a wide range of topics related to career exploration and job readiness.
Behavioral: Job Readiness
Creating Peace is a 12 session curriculum designed to support youth ages 14-19 in healing from experiences of trauma by restoring social connections, strengthening positive coping strategies that exclude all forms of violence, challenging gender norms that foster violence perpetration, and practicing positive bystander intervention skills to intervene safely with peers' disrespectful and harmful behaviors. Through 12 sessions (3 hours/session) over a 4 to 12 week period, Creating Peace offers gender transformative content combined with youth leadership development. Near program conclusion, youth will offer guidance to law enforcement on interacting with youth in a process of social restoration.
Job Readiness Training uses a group discussion format to learn specific skills to prepare for employment including developing goals, seeking jobs, preparing for interviews, and so forth.
Change in recent use of any violence at 3 months
Summary score of any recent use of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; sexual violence; physical violence and threatening with a weapon; cyber dating abuse, cyber peer abuse, and sexting) calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (lower score indicates better outcome)
Time frame: At baseline and three months after program conclusion
Change in recent use of any violence at 9 months
Summary score of any recent use of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; sexual violence; physical violence and threatening with a weapon; cyber dating abuse, cyber peer abuse, and sexting) calculated as one point for each behavior then summed (lower score indicates better outcome)
Time frame: At baseline and nine months after program.
Change in past 30 day weapon carrying at 3 months
Self-reported number of days they carried a weapon in past 30 days
Time frame: At baseline and three months after program conclusion
Change in past 30 day weapon carrying at 9 months
Self-reported number of days they carried a weapon in past 30 days
Time frame: At baseline and nine months after program conclusion
Change in positive bystander behaviors at 3 months
Past 3 month positive bystander behavior when witnessing disrespectful and harmful behavior among peers comparing baseline and follow up summary scores. Participants report if they have witnessed peers' abusive behaviors in the past 3 months and if witnessed, how they responded (whether they intervened to interrupt the behavior, provided support to person being harmed).
Time frame: At baseline and three months after program conclusion
Change in positive bystander behaviors at 9 months
Past 3 month positive bystander behavior when witnessing disrespectful and harmful behavior among peers comparing baseline and follow up summary scores. Participants report if they have witnessed peers' abusive behaviors in the past 3 months and if witnessed, how they responded (whether they intervened to interrupt the behavior, provided support to person being harmed).
Time frame: At baseline and nine months after program conclusion
Plan to share: No — The research team will not make individual participant data (IPD) available to other researchers.
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This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Pittsburgh