Current Research

Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS): Feasibility and Target Engagement (funded by NIH, R34MH131919)

The goal of this project was to pilot test an online intervention (a six session psychoeducational class) for autistic adults about healthy dating and/or friend relationships. The class was offered in partnership with AANE. Each class was 90 minutes long and covered topics such as: what is a healthy vs. unhealthy relationship, recognizing boundaries, resolving conflict in relationships, and coping with breakups. The Co-PI was Susan White from University of Alabama.  Data were collected from N=92 participants. This project is currently in the data analysis phase.

Enhancement of Strength at Home Implementation to Prevent Violence and Related Outcomes  (Funded by the DoD, HT9425310622)

Dr. Rothman is a Co-Investigator on this study led by Dr. Casey Taft. The project is testing an online intervention using the Strength at Home curriculum for couples who have experienced relationship abuse. The project is currently enrolling.

PAUSE: An online class to address depression, anxiety and self-compassion (Funded by the Organization for Autism Research (OAR))

This project will develop an online intervention (a six session psychoeductional class) for autistic adults about depression, anxiety and self-compassion. The class will be offered in partnership with AANE beginning in October 2025. It will be taught by Lisa Morgan and Laura Graham Holmes.  Anne Kirby is a Co-Investigator on this project. We will collect data from N=21 adults and analyze outcomes including depression, anxiety, self-compassion and help seeking.

Sexual health behaviors among US adolescents and young adults (Funded by NIH, R01HD112411)

This grant is collecting qualitative and quantitative data from US adolescents about their sexual behaviors, including rough sex and sexual choking. The PIs are Debby Herbenick and Kim Nelson.

Pornography Literacy Curriculum Pilot (not funded)

Pornography, also called sexually explicit media, is nearly ubiquitous and frequently viewed by adolescents and even pre-teens.  In recent years “media literacy” programs have been developed to educate youth about ways in which advertisements, TV programs, movies and song lyrics can shape their thinking and behavior.  Sexually explicit media is a sub-type of media that also deserves its own form of literacy education so that youth have some context for interpreting what they view and for making informed choices about what they view, when, and why.  Dr. Rothman has co-authored a 5-session pornography literacy curriculum for high school-age youth with two youth development and healthy relationship experts from the Boston Public Health Commission.  That curriculum has now been pilot-tested with rounds of teenagers, including with one group of specifically GLBTQ+ youth.  Our team designed a pre- and post-test to evaluate knowledge, attitude and behavior change that participants may experience as a result of the class.  Peer-reviewed published evaluation study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15546128.2018.1437100?tab=permissions&scroll=top

View some teens who took the pornography literacy class talking about what they learned here: