Prizes for parents: can small rewards keep teens out of trouble?

NCT ID NCT03051997

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether giving caregivers prize draws for attending court hearings, treatment sessions, and probation meetings could reduce substance use and delinquency in teens already in juvenile drug court. Fifty-three teens aged 13-17 and their caregivers took part. The goal was to see if boosting caregiver engagement leads to fewer positive drug tests and less self-reported substance use.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: prize-based contingency management (behavioral intervention)
What this could lead to: If it works, this approach could offer a simple, low-cost way to improve teen substance use outcomes by keeping caregivers more engaged.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed study with only 53 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is behavioral, not a drug, so effects may be modest.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

substance abuse substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Montgomer County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street

Dayton, Ohio, 45422, United States
Nueces County Juvenile Court/Juvenile Treatment Court

Corpus Christi, Texas, 78415, United States

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