# The Impact of an Adapted Version of the Strengthening Families Program on Reducing IPV among Caregivers and ACEs among their Children

> **NIH ALLCDC R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · 2022 · $350,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Research documents the concerning rates and negative outcomes of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
To date, we know very little about two-generation programs that may simultaneously prevent ACEs among
children including intimate partner violence (IPV) among their caregivers. The proposed project addresses
objective 3 of NICIPC’s initiative, evaluation of strategies that incorporate a dual generation approach to
break the cycle of violence and adversity. The project purpose is to test the impact of a widely researched
alcohol and drug abuse prevention program, the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), on reducing ACEs in
children (10-14) including child abuse and IPV among their caregivers (primary outcomes). Guided by
social learning and ecological theories that empathize the importance of the proximal family environment, the
members of this multi-stakeholder collaborative believe that the SFP has the strong potential to be effective in
reducing IPV in caregivers and additional ACEs in their children given that the SFP focuses on reducing myriad
risk and protective factors for not only drug use, but for ACEs, including IPV and child abuse. As part of this
project and in order to bolster the program’s effectiveness, we will adapt the SFP (renamed for this project:
Was’ake Tiwahe, Lakota for “strong families”) to include additional evidence-based IPV prevention strategies
(e.g., economic empowerment) for adults and peer-to-peer violence prevention strategies (e.g., bystander
intervention) for youth in addition to cultural adaptations given the large presence of American Indians in Rapid
City, SD, where this project will take place. During the Adaptation and Planning Phase (Year 1), first the
team will convene a Research and Practice Advisory Board and conduct focus groups to adapt the program.
Next, the team will conduct an open pilot trial of the adapted program and engage youth and caretakers in
cognitive testing of survey instruments to be used in the subsequent clinical trial. During the Outcome and
Process Evaluation Phase (Years 2 and 3), the team will implement and evaluate the feasibly and acceptably
of the Was’ake Tiwahe via program observations and fidelity checks, key informant interviews, and Photovoice.
In addition to the in-depth process evaluation, the team will gather efficacy data by randomly assigning higher
risk families, i.e., American Indian and/or low income (N=320 enrolled and randomized), to a wait-list control or
treatment conditions. Pre-, immediate post-, and 8-month follow-up surveys will test for reductions in ACEs in
youth (N=320), including reductions in IPV in their caregivers (N=320). With exploratory analyses, the team will
identify mediators (e.g., increases in adult supervision, economic empowerment) and moderators (e.g.,
gender) of program outcomes. Finally, during the Revision and Dissemination Phase (Year 3), the team will
use data collected in prior phases to revise the program. T...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10438167
- **Project number:** 5R01CE003190-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
- **Principal Investigator:** Katie M Edwards
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $350,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10438167

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10438167, The Impact of an Adapted Version of the Strengthening Families Program on Reducing IPV among Caregivers and ACEs among their Children (5R01CE003190-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10438167. Licensed CC0.

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