View clinical trials related to Sexual Assault.
Filter by:With the present project, we will a evaluate a new, motivational interviewing (MI) intervention for increasing bystander behaviors to prevent sexual violence. In the intervention, motivational interviewing will be used to build each participant's unique motivation for engaging in bystander intervention behaviors. To assess the efficacy of the intervention, we will utilize the Bystanders in Sexual Assault Virtual Environments (B-SAVE), a virtual reality measure of bystander behaviors, along with self-report measures examining relevant bystander behaviors and attitudes. We will also examine key moderators of intervention efficacy to provide valuable knowledge (e.g., whom the intervention is most effective for) for further tailoring of the intervention.
Heavy episodic drinking and sexual assault (SA) are problematic on college campuses. This project will adapt already developed interventions targeting alcohol use and SA to a mHealth format and involve content that incorporates federal guidelines and CDC recommendations to integrate both bystander intervention and risk reduction content with new innovative personalized content for each risk group (cis-gender heterosexual men, cis-gender heterosexual women, and sexual/gender minorities). Alpha testing with key stakeholders, an open pilot trial, and a randomized pilot trial will be conducted to establish acceptability and to estimate sample size for a larger randomized controlled trial.
The primary aim of this Phase I SBIR is to create and test an alpha version of Make a Change for mobile devices, and to document the technical merit, commercial viability, and proof of concept of the product. Successful completion of this proposal will result in the creation of two assets: 1) an "Intervention Manual" that (similar to a logic model) will align key game mechanics with theory and behavior change goals and, 2) the digital application for mobile devices. Focus groups and interviews with students, as well as interviews with campus stakeholders, will be used to inform development of the digital application and ensure its commercial viability. A non-randomized open trial with a 1-month follow up will assess preliminary effects on attitudes and behaviors, and will establish procedures for assessing change in proximal (attitude) and distal (behavioral) outcomes in preparation for large-scale evaluation in a Phase 2 SBIR proposal. This line of research and development has the potential to develop a commercially viable product with high public health impact that can be disseminated to 1700+ community colleges and 3,000+ 4-year colleges, and readily adapted to high schools, clinics and military settings.
The goal of this study is to empirically evaluate a web-based intervention to reduce heavy drinking among college women with a history of sexual assault who display elevated levels of psychological distress. College women with a history of sexual assault often report more heavy drinking and psychological distress than women without a history of assault. Moreover, women with assault histories often have difficulty regulating their emotions and tolerating distress which can lead to a pattern of drinking to cope distress. Trauma exposure, negative mood, and poor coping strategies have been associated with poor treatment outcomes and relapse following alcohol treatment. Incorporating distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills with an alcohol intervention may enhance treatment effects among women with a history of sexual assault by decreasing their motivation to drink to cope with depression or anxiety and by building adaptive coping strategies. Therefore, the web-based intervention will include cognitive behavioral skills for reducing alcohol consumption and incorporate emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
The study is a randomized controlled trial of COMPASS, an intervention for adolescent girls in three refugee camps in Ethiopia. The study design will employ a two group wait-list cluster randomized controlled trial where girls will be invited to participate in the COMPASS program, assigned to groups of approximately 20 for the purposes of the program, complete a pre-test baseline assessment, and will then be randomized by group to the intervention or control condition. In addition, qualitative research will address additional questions of acceptability, processes of change and best practice. Groups in three refugee camps - Sherkole, Bambasi, and Tongo - will be randomized to determine whether the participants receive the intervention or are placed on the wait-list immediately following the baseline. Those that do not get the curriculum during the study will receive it following the endline phase of the study so as to not create tensions or jealousies. The intervention, the COMPASS program, will involve a structured intervention for girls between the ages of 13-19 that is intended to engage adolescent girls, those who are influential in their lives, service providers and other stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of co-creating environments in which girls are valued and safe. The program is centered on establishing or supporting community-supported safe spaces for girls where they can come and gather among themselves and participate in a structured life-skills curriculum.
Sexual violence (SV) and adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) are prevalent among adolescents and associated with poor health. Global health organizations highlight engaging men and boys in preventing violence against women as a potentially impactful public health strategy. This study aims to test, via a two arm cluster randomized controlled trial, a "gender transformative" SV/ARA perpetration prevention program among African American adolescent males ages 13-19 (target is high school age) implemented in a community-based setting. "Gender transformative" refers to a theory- and evidence-based approach to alter gender norms that foster SV/ARA while promoting bystander intervention (i.e., giving boys skills to interrupt abusive behaviors they witness among peers) to reduce SV/ARA perpetration. As the acceptance of SV and involvement in unhealthy sexual behaviors are associated with SV/ARA perpetration, this program integrates analysis of social norms that condone violence against women, sexual health promotion, and skills in bystander intervention -- an approach that has been implemented in multiple non-U.S. settings among young adult males with reductions in violence, development of more equitable gender attitudes, and less risky sexual behaviors. This will be the first test of such a gender transformative program among adolescent males in the U.S. Via a 2-arm cluster-randomized trial in youth-serving agencies (16 clusters, N=840 adolescent males ages 14-19), this study will assess the effectiveness of "Manhood 2.0" (proposed name for this gender transformative program) compared to a job skills curriculum. Three months after the end of the program (Time 2), compared to controls, youth will demonstrate increased positive bystander intervention behaviors (secondary outcome). Intermediate outcomes are: condom use self-efficacy; contraception use attitudes; recognition of abusive behaviors; gender-equitable attitudes; and intentions to intervene with peers. Nine months after intervention completion (Time 3), youth will report less perpetration of SV and ARA toward females (Primary Outcome) compared to controls. This study will provide urgently needed information about the effectiveness of a gender transformative program that combines healthy sexuality skills, gender norms change, and bystander skills to interrupt peers' disrespectful and harmful behaviors to reduce SV/ARA perpetration among adolescent males.
The study is a randomized controlled trial of COMPASS, an intervention for adolescent girls in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The study design will employ a two-arm randomized controlled trial where girls will be enrolled at the same time and randomized to receive a basic package of services, which includes life skills education and access to mentors in safe spaces, or the basic package plus a structured parenting intervention for girls' caregivers. An experimental design will be used to evaluate the relative impact of the parenting initiative in addition to the safe space program for girls. In addition, qualitative research will address additional questions of acceptability, processes of change and best practice. Groups in North and South Kivu will be randomized so that every group is randomly designated as a group that will either roll out the core intervention or the intervention plus caregiver component. Groups that do not receive the parental intervention during the study will receive the intervention when the study is complete to reduce communal jealousies. The intervention, the COMPASS program, will involve a structured intervention for girls between the ages of 10-14 that is intended to engage adolescent girls, those who are influential in their lives, service providers and other stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of co-creating environments in which girls are valued and safe. The program is centered on establishing or supporting community-supported safe spaces for girls where they can come and gather among themselves and participate in a structured life-skills curriculum. In addition to the safe spaces for girls, the COMPASS project will also implement structured activities for the parents and caregivers of participants.
This study will offer the first formal assessment for sexual violence (SV) in the college student health center setting, developed for a high risk group of college students, and is designed to facilitate patient and provider comfort in discussing sexual violence and related abusive experiences (including the role of alcohol) via semi-scripted screening tools. The intervention specifically involves the training of all clinical staff (health educators, counselors, medical assistants, nurses, and clinicians) to deliver a universal education and brief counseling intervention titled GIFTSS (Giving Information for Trauma Support and Safety) to all clients seeking college health services integrated into usual clinical practice, provide universal education about SV regardless of disclosure, counsel clients on harm reduction strategies to reduce risk for SV, and provide supported referrals to sexual assault advocates, with the goal of reducing SV among college students.
The pilot study aims to conduct a randomized pilot trial in a sample of 40 incarcerated women with lifetime interpersonal violence who are 6-10 weeks away from release to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed recruitment methods and research design, of the intervention training methods, of delivering the enhanced Women's Coop and nutrition control interventions. Per recent guidance from NIMH, the investigators will also examine 95% confidence intervals around differences between the proposed intervention and a dose-matched control condition (Nutrition Program), for the following outcomes through 8 months post prison release: reduced unprotected vaginal or anal sex occasions and fewer cases of vaginal trichomoniasis (primary); reduced interpersonal violence episodes, symptoms of PTSD and depression, and drug using/heavy drinking days (secondary); and increased affect management and social support (including effectiveness in obtaining substance use, mental health treatment and other resources) (tertiary).
More than one in six women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, most by men they know. The risk of sexual assault by men is greatest for girls and women between the ages of 14 and 24 making this a critical time for intervention. Sexual assault has many immediate and long-term negative consequences for victims. Even a small increase in the ability of women to resist sexual assault will result in a substantial improvement in the mental and physical health of women. Recent research has suggested that many young women delay their resistance to unwanted sexual advances because they are not sure that they are reading the situation correctly, they do not want to hurt the man's feelings, or they are unsure whether they have the right to say no to some sexual activity and say yes to other activity. Earlier work from the researchers resulted in the development of a program affecting these critical areas. This program was shown to be effective in helping participants build skills and a knowledge base to help them resist sexual assault and to prepare them for better recovery following sexual assault. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) builds on this prior work. We will establish whether the demonstrated short term effectiveness of this theoretically and empirically sound rape resistance intervention for university women extends to longer periods. We will determine whether the program can reduce the one year incidence of sexual assault by 30% among women attending Canadian universities. The results will also be used to indicate how long the effects of the program last and will indicate at which point in time refresher sessions may be necessary. A lay summary of the findings of the trial with a focus on application will be provided to all Canadian universities and to Provincial/Territorial Ministries of Education. This will be followed up with contact with those most likely to be involved in current campus education efforts.