Peer-reviewed article
Forging Hopeful Futures Community-Partnered Violence Prevention Intervention: Protocol for a Comparative Effectiveness Trial.
Culyba AJ, Pulerwitz J, Ajith A, Barrett S, Blankenship K et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a protocol for a comparative effectiveness trial testing Forging Hopeful Futures, a community-led violence prevention program for youth aged 13-19 in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. The intervention consists of 12 sessions over 6-12 weeks covering conflict resolution, relationships, leadership, and job readiness, delivered by trusted community facilitators. The study compares the intervention to enhanced usual care across 16 neighborhoods, measuring violence experience and perpetration as primary outcomes. As of December 2025, 542 participants have been enrolled, with results expected in early 2027.
Key points
- Homicide is the third leading cause of death for US adolescents and the leading cause among Black youth
- The FHF intervention addresses intersecting determinants including social factors and limited economic opportunities
- The program includes 12 sessions on conflict resolution, peer and intimate partner relationships, youth leadership, and job readiness with employment and mentorship connections
- The study is a 2-arm cluster-randomized trial across 16 neighborhoods with approximately 720 youth aged 13-19
- Implementation data will be collected using RE-AIM-informed tools and qualitative interviews to assess reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance
Limitations
This is a protocol paper describing an ongoing trial with data collection expected through July 2026 and analysis not completed until January 2027, so no results or effectiveness data are yet available. The document does not provide information on the specific mechanisms of change or comparative context of similar interventions.
Abstract
Background Homicide is the third leading cause of death for US adolescents and the leading cause among Black youth. Youth violence also contributes to significant mental health burden and educational disruption, with the highest impact in neighborhoods with limited resources. Programs that address intersecting determinants, including social factors and limited economic opportunities, may reduce violence experiences and perpetration. Objective This protocol paper describes a community-partnered, 2-arm cluster-randomized trial across 16 neighborhoods (12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and 4 in the Washington, DC, region) evaluating the Forging Hopeful Futures (FHF) intervention, enrolling approximately 720 youth aged 13 to 19 years. Methods FHF comprises 12 sessions delivered over 6 to 12 weeks by trusted community facilitators and addresses conflict resolution, peer and intimate partner relationships, youth leadership, and job readiness with connections to employment and mentorship. Comparison clusters receive enhanced usual care (individual wellness check-ins). Assessments occur at baseline, the end of the program, 3 months, and 6 months post-program. Primary outcomes are violence involvement (experience and perpetration); secondary outcomes include experiences of multiple types of violence (eg, relationship abuse, sexual violence, bullying, and weapon carrying). Implementation data are collected using RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance)-informed tools and qualitative interviews. Results The study was funded in October 2022, and recruitment began in July 2023. As of December 1, 2025, the study had enrolled 542 participants, with follow-up expected to continue through July 30, 2026. Data analysis for primary end points is expected on January 1, 2027. Primary analyses will estimate intervention effects on recent violence perpetration using generalized linear mixed models with random effects for neighborhood and participant, adjusting for baseline values and city. Exploratory analyses will examine mediation (eg, shifts in attitudes) and moderation (eg, baseline risk profiles). Conclusions This trial is designed to provide rigorous effectiveness and implementation evidence to inform policy and practice in youth violence prevention. If demonstrated to be effective, FHF could serve as an integrated, scalable model that addresses the social and economic drivers of youth violence and leverages community partnerships for sustainability.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Forging Hopeful Futures (FHF): a 12-session community-partnered program delivered over 6-12 weeks by trusted community facilitators addressing conflict resolution, peer and intimate partner relationships, youth leadership, and job readiness with connections to employment and mentorship
- Population
- Approximately 720 youth aged 13-19 years across 16 neighborhoods (12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and 4 in Washington, DC region)
Key finding