This program is for youth who are 11 to 14 years old, their parents and teachers, and the community.

Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships (Dating Matters®), a multi-sector school- and community-based prevention model, is designed to prevent teen dating violence, promote respectful relationship behaviors, and reduce other risk behaviors including other forms of violence and substance use.

One internal randomized controlled trial was conducted in 46 middle schools in high-risk urban areas with predominantly Black and Hispanic youth. Schools were randomized to receive Dating Matters, which was delivered in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, or the Safe Dates program which was delivered in 8th grade only. Schools implemented the interventions for 4 consecutive school years. Results in the spring of 8th grade indicated that Dating Matters participants, compared to Safe Dates participants, experienced lower teen-dating violence perpetration and victimization; lower use of negative conflict-resolution strategies; lower sexual violence and sexual harassment perpetration and victimization; less bullying perpetration; less physical violence perpetration; less cyberbullying victimization and perpetration for females; and lower scores on measures of weapon carrying, alcohol and substance abuse, and delinquency. Results varied across cohorts and by gender.

Dating Matters is a comprehensive model for the prevention of teen dating violence and has components at the individual, family, school, and community levels. Youth violence-prevention programs focus on the following at each grade level:

• Dating Matters for 6th graders – Explore healthy relationships with friends, family, and dating partners; learn social and emotional skills; develop positive relationship skills; and examine how to help friends who are in unhealthy relationships;
• Dating Matters for 7th graders – Review and build upon skills covered in 6th grade and discuss dating relationships, sexual violence, and social norms about substance use; and
• Safe Dates* for 8th graders – Complete an evidence-based program that is designed to stop or prevent psychological, physical, and sexual abuse by raising awareness about dating abuse and teaching skills needed to support healthy relationships.

Additional components include the following: parent programs for each grade that are designed to teach skills for positive parenting; an online training for teachers, coaches, school personnel, and youth leaders; a youth communications program titled i2i: What R U Looking 4; and community-based resources and tools including a capacity assessment and planning tool, a guide to using indicator data, and an interactive guide to informing policy. Please visit the website listed in the Source section for additional information on each of these program components.

*A separate fact sheet is available for the Safe Dates program.

Dating Matters was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2009 and 2011. A demonstration project of the program was conducted in Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Oakland, California; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from 2011 to 2016. During this time, the program was implemented in 46 middle schools with over 36,000 youth, nearly 1,000 parents, and over 300 educators. The program was made available to the public in 2019.

This program is disseminated in school and community settings by teachers, community leaders, and volunteers. The Dating Matters Toolkit includes web-based facilitator training and all materials and resources needed to implement and maintain the program. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/datingmatters/getstarted.html for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring buy-in from communities, school administration, and parents; recruiting facilitators and ensuring they familiarize themselves with the program toolkit; making time for program lessons and activities; and understanding facilitation of this program could be expensive and may require funding.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing Dating Matters, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

This program is implemented over 3 years. The 6th- and 7th-grade programs for youth contain seven sessions each, and the 8th-grade program contains 10 sessions. The 6th-grade program for parents consists of six group sessions. The 7th-grade program for parents consists of three group sessions. The 8th-grade program for parents is delivered via six individual booklets that are mailed to parents at their homes. Training for educators consists of a 1-hour, online training.

Implementation costs were calculated from the program evaluation, and results indicated a mean cost of $175,452 per year with a range of $130,149 to $227,604. The mean per-student cost was $145.40 with a range of $20.66 to $324.65.

To move Dating Matters to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation must be conducted demonstrating positive, sustained effects lasting at least one year from program completion or two years from the beginning of the program. This evaluation must be conducted independently of program developers.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program. Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact the Dating Matters team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by email datingmatters@cdc.gov or visit https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/datingmatters/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/datingmatters/index.html and Luo, DeGue, and Le (2020).