Preventing Sexual Violence Among Middle School Boys With a Strengths-Based Curriculum

New York State Department of Health

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Sexual Violence

Treatments: Behavioral: Programming-as-Usual; Behavioral: Brothers as Allies

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03392597

CE002834

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research will examine if participation in a strengths-based curriculum, the Brothers as Allies program adapted from the Council for Boys and Young Men, reduces risk for future sexual violence perpetration among middle school-aged boys in New York State.

Full description

Using a longitudinal waitlist control design, this study will evaluate the efficacy of a strengths-based curriculum, the Brothers as Allies program from the Council for Boys and Young Men, to reduce risk for future sexual violence perpetration with middle school-aged boys (ages 12-14) in New York State. This research will examine if participation in the program decreases negative behaviors (such as later sexual violence perpetration and sexual aggression) and increases positive behaviors (such as bystander intervention and caring/cooperative behaviors) amongst program participants, in comparison to participants who participate in programming-as-usual. Other potential moderators and outcomes linked to sexual violence victimization and sexual assault perpetration (including attitudes related to gender roles, acceptance of sexual violence, and interpersonal relationships) will also be measured. The research team will also assess the extent to which the curriculum, when implemented with fidelity and quality, leads to improved relationships and stronger connections with adults in afterschool or other community-based youth-program settings. All participants will complete surveys at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Finally, the investigators will also assess the implementation factors which impact the efficacy of this program, such as fidelity and quality of program delivery. The research team hypothesizes participants in the Brothers as Allies program will show post-intervention decreased sexual violence perpetration, less acceptance of sexual violence, less stereotypic gender role attitudes, greater youth-adult connectedness, and increased bystander intervention, caring, and cooperation behaviors compared to peers in the non-intervention group. In order to complete this work, the research team is collaborating with the New York Rape Prevention and Education (RPE)-funded Regional Centers for Sexual Violence Prevention and a Research Advisory Board of community members and professionals from New York State.

Enrollment: 720 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 12 to 14 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants must be males of middle school age (12-14 years), participating in afterschool/youth programming at one of the intervention or control sites.

Exclusion criteria

• None.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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720 participants in 2 patient groups

Brothers as Allie

Experimental group

Description:

Brothers as Allies is a strengths-based group approach to promote boys' and young men's safe and healthy passage through the pre-teen and adolescent years by addressing rigid beliefs and norms about masculinity that are harmful to the health, safety, relationships and opportunities of boys and young men. Groups of six to ten boys of similar age and development meet weekly with one or two facilitators for 1.5 to 2 hours for ten or more weeks. Meetings include warm up activities, an opportunity for check-in, experiential activities that address gender relevant topics (e.g., group challenges, games, skits, role plays), and a reflection and group dialogue component.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Brothers as Allies

Programming-as-Usual

Active Comparator group

Description:

Usual programming implemented in afterschool programs.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Programming-as-Usual