Rigorous Evaluation of the READY to Stand Curriculum to Prevent the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Summary

The overall goal of this project is to conduct both a process and rigorous outcome evaluation of The Set Me Free Project (SMFP)'s READY to Stand (RTS)© curriculum with an eye toward widespread dissemination to other U.S. communities, if deemed effective. Broadly, the investigators seek to determine the effect participation has on students: reductions in commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) perpetration (the primary outcome); reductions in CSEC victimization, teen dating violence (TDV), and sexual violence victimization and perpetration; as well as increases in bystander intervention in CSEC situations compared to participants in the control condition (secondary outcomes). Process evaluation components include fidelity monitoring, post session surveys, and exit interviews. The methodology includes a community-based RCT in which youth (N=400-600) are randomly assigned to the treatment (RTS) or attention control condition (nutrition program).

Detailed Description

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a public health crisis in the United States. Research has documented risk and protective factors across the social ecology for CSEC, that many perpetrators (traffickers, clients, recruiters) of CSEC are peers (e.g., romantic partners) and adolescents report opportunities to intervene in situations of peer victimization (although not necessarily specific to CSEC). Prevention efforts with adolescents that seek to (1) reduce risk for CSEC perpetration; (2) reduce risk for CSEC victimization; and (3) increase positive bystander intervention in situations of CSEC is urgently needed. Thus, the goal of this multi-stakeholder collaboration-which includes researchers, educators, practitioners, and youth-is to conduct both a process and rigorous outcome evaluation of The Set Me Free Project© (SMFP)'s READY to Stand (RTS)© curriculum-with an eye toward widespread dissemination to other U.S. communities, if deemed effective. The RTS programming is for teens. The teen programming includes six, 45-minute modules implemented in a community-based model. Each cohort will be mixed gender groups of 50 students teens and provides students them with CSEC psychoeducation, healthy relationship skills, identification of safe people, bystander intervention in CSEC situations, shifting school norms to be intolerant of all forms of violence, and valuing of self and others. Despite its potential for reducing CSEC, the RTS© has never been evaluated. The investigators will conduct an community-based RCT study in which enrolled youth (N=400-600)will be randomly assigned to the RTS condition or an attention control condition (nutrition program). Youth will complete baseline and immediate post, 6- and 12-month follow-up surveys to test the hypothesis that participation in the RTS© program will lead to reductions in CSEC perpetration (primary outcome), as well as reductions in CSEC victimization and teen dating violence (TDV) and sexual violence victimization and perpetration, and increases in bystander intervention in CSEC situations compared to participants in the control condition (secondary outcomes). The investigators will assess mediators and demographic moderators of program impact. Document via program observations of programming, post-session surveys, and post program implementation of key informant and stakeholder interviews, variations in implementation, unanticipated challenges, lessons learned, and perceptions of program impact. Determine costs associated with the program implementation (both student and school personnel programming) to inform future economic evaluation of the RTS.

Eligibility Criteria

Interventions