Description of Session
ZonaSegura is a trauma-informed youth-centered innovative research study and mobile solution to address teen dating violence in Honduras. Led by the YTH Initiative of ETR, in partnership with the Public Health Institute’s GOJoven International Program and GOJoven Honduras, this applied study and mobile solution aims to prevent teen dating violence (TDV) through provision of prevention information, healthy relationship education, and linkages to TDV services and resources using mobile technology. Honduras is consistently ranked as one of the most violent places on earth, particularly for women. From 2005 to 2013, the number of violent deaths of women rose by 263.4% while one woman was killed every 16 hours in Honduras in 2015. With nearly 90 percent of the Honduran population with access to at least one mobile phone, ZonaSegura leverages the high rates of mobile phone usage among young people ages 14-19 to support overcoming individual and structural barriers to access rights-based and gender-sensitive TDV prevention information and services. ZonaSegura includes a mobile-responsive study website, Android mobile application (app), and WhatsApp text messaging campaign. The goal of each technology component provides information around healthy relationships and TDV prevention with activities and messaging to reinforce learnings. The website provides basic information, assesses study eligibility, provides informed consent, and study enrollment for potential participants of the ZonaSegura study. The mobile application and WhatsApp campaign provides primary prevention and health information to teens. The ZonaSegura IRB approved study (launching July 2019) will evaluate the effect of ZonaSegura on teens’ access to and use of information, knowledge and attitudes to teen dating violence and overall self-efficacy in teen dating violence prevention. Preliminary findings and lessons learned from the study will be shared during this session.
