Implementing a Coach-Delivered Dating Violence Prevention Program with High School Athletes Maria Catrina D. Jaime 1 & Heather L. McCauley 2 & Daniel J. Tancredi 1 & Michele R. Decker 3 & Jay G. Silverman 4 & Brian O’Connor 5 & Elizabeth Miller 6 # Society for Prevention Research 2018 Abstract Teen dating violence and sexual violence are severe public health problems. Abusive behaviors within the context of dating or romantic relationships are associated with adverse health outcomes. Promoting positive bystander intervention and increasing knowledge of abusive behaviors are promising strategies for preventing dating and sexual violence. Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based, athletic coach-delivered dating violence prevention program that has been shown to increase positive bystander behaviors and reduce abuse perpetration among high school male athletes. Identifying specific barriers and facilitators based on the coaches’ experiences with program delivery combined with the coaches’ and athletes’ program percep- tions may help optimize future CBIM implementation and sustainability. Semi-structured interviews with coaches (n = 36) explored the implementers’ perspectives on strategies that worked well and potential barriers to program implementation. Ten focus groups with male athletes (n = 39) assessed their experiences with CBIM and the suitability of having their coaches deliver this program. Coaches described using the CBIM training cards and integrating program delivery during practice. Athletes reported coaches routinely delivering the CBIM program and adding their own personal stories or examples to the discussions. Key facilitators to program implementation include support from the violence prevention advocate, the ease of integrating CBIM into the sports season, and using the program materials. Barriers to implementation included finding sufficient time for the program, dynamics of delivering sensitive program content, and participant constraints. Coaches and athletes alike found the program feasible and acceptable to implement within the sports setting. Both coaches and athletes offered insights on the implementation and the feasibility and acceptability of CBIM within school-based athletic programs. These experiences by implementers and recipients alike can inform future dissemination and implementation efforts of CBIM. Further, by pinpointing where and how coaches were successful in implementing the program and what resonated with athletes, can help better understand how CBIM is effective in promoting athletes to stop violence against women and girls. Coach and athlete reflections on CBIM implementation provide insights for optimizing future program delivery and dissemination. Keywords High school coaches and male athletes . Dating violence . Sexual violence prevention . Implementation science Nationwide, among high school aged youth who have dated, female youth report significantly higher past year prevalence of physical and sexual violence victimization in their relation- ships compared to male youth (11.7 to 7.4, 15.6 to 5.4%, respectively) (Kann et al. 2016). Forced sexual intercourse is three times more prevalent for female youth than their male counterparts (Kann et al. 2016). The poor health outcomes associated with dating violence exposure are well document- ed, including mental health problems (Victoria L. Banyard and Cross 2008; Ullman and Brecklin 2002), substance abuse (Banyard and Cross 2008; Coker et al. 2000; Silverman et al. 2001), disordered eating (Ackard and Neumark-Sztainer 2002; Silverman et al. 2001), suicidality (Banyard and Cross 2008; Coker et al. 2000; Silverman et al. 2001), unintended * Maria Catrina D. Jaime mdjaime@ucdavis.edu 1 University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Center for Healthcare Policy & Research, Sacramento, CA, USA 2 Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA 3 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA 4 University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA 5 Futures Without Violence, San Francisco, CA, USA 6 Children’ s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Prevention Science https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-018-0909-2