
An emergency department (ED) visit can be an opportunity to intervene and address youth violence outcomes and risky behaviors such as violence and substance use. Each year, more than 200,000 adolescents visit the emergency room due to youth violence.
Theory
SafERteens is a brief, motivational counseling intervention for teens aged 14-20 who have been admitted to the ED and have recently been in a fight. The intervention consists of a single counseling session that combines Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Through this session, the teen learns to recognize violent behaviors and develop skills in conflict resolution, violence avoidance, and safety behaviors. To reinforce these concepts, SafERteens sends text messages to youth 2 months after the intervention.
Key Findings
- Youth experiencing violent injuries are at an increased risk for repeat violent injuries, substance use, and mental health issues
- SafERteens has been shown to reduce aggressive behavior for up to 12 months after intervention
- SafERteens has been shown to reduce severe victimization, depressive symptoms, violence consequences, and alcohol consequences
- Implementation of SafERteens in a single trauma center is estimated to reduce 4,200 violent events in a single year
- Teens who have participated in SafERteens are less likely to report aggression, victimization, and violence-related consequences than teens who did not participate in the intervention (saferteens.org)
Related Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Comprehensive Technical Package for the Prevention of Youth Violence and Associated Risk Behaviors
- SafERteens - Training Videos: SafERteens Intervention Examples
- SafERteens - Training Videos: Motivational Interviewing Workshop
- SafERteens: Online Intervention: An Introduction and Guide to SafERteens (video)
- SafERteens: How to Practice the Intervention

