The present research creates a partnership between researchers and a community agency to evaluate whether a sexual assault prevention program for high school students reduces perpetration of sexual violence among high school boys.
The present research advances the science of sexual assault prevention by creating a mutually beneficial partnership between well-established sexual assault prevention researchers and a CDC Rape Prevention and Education Program (RPE)-funded community agency to conduct a rigorous experimental evaluation of universal primary prevention programming designed to reduce sexual aggression among high school boys. The present research tests multi-session prevention programming that targets change at multiple levels of the social ecology (i.e., individual-, peer- and community-level) through social norms theory and bystander education. Specifically, the present research evaluates Your Voice Your View. Your Voice Your View was developed and is currently administered in Rhode Island High Schools by the CDC RPE-funded agency Day One of Rhode Island. The program will be tested in a group randomized cluster trial among 10th graders at 30 high schools, with the aim of reducing perpetration of sexual aggression among high school boys. Specifically, this research will conduct a randomized controlled trial with a sample of 10th grade students to demonstrate efficacy of the intervention in reducing rates of sexual aggression among high school boys, rates of dating violence involvement, and related risk and protective factors over a 2- and 6-month follow-up in comparison to a wait-list control group. Thirty schools will be matched on demographic characteristics (i.e., % receiving subsidized lunch, racial/ethnic minority enrollment) and randomized to receive Your Voice Your View or to the wait-list control group.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
7,910
Session 1 of the intervention involves background information, an introduction to social norms, and bystander intervention skills training. Session 2 of the intervention establishes conditions for consent, types of abusive behavior and identifying abuse. Session 3 of the intervention addresses risk reduction strategies for girls. Session 3 of the intervention addresses false accusations, masculinity, and additional practice on identifying conditions for consent for boys. Session 4 of the intervention includes active practice of bystander intervention skills.
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Perpetration of Sexual Violence Survey
Time frame: up to 6-months
Rate of Dating Violence Perpetration
Time frame: up to 6 months
Rape Myth Acceptance Survey
Time frame: up to 6 months
Bystander Intervention Skills Survey
Composite measure: Increase Positive Bystander Behavior, Decrease Barriers to Intervening, Increase Likelihood of Intervening
Time frame: up to 6 months
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