Healthy Relationships Project for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

Enrolling by invitation at 1 trial location

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northeastern University

Disqualifiers: Private schools, non high-need wards

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program designed to prevent child sexual abuse by teaching healthy relationship skills. Schools will be divided into two groups: one will implement the Healthy Relationships Project program in pre-k through 5th-grade classrooms, while the other will not. The goal is to determine if the program effectively reduces the risk of abuse compared to usual practices. Public schools in high-need areas of Washington D.C. with students in pre-k through 5th grade are well-suited for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to important research that could shape future educational programs and protect children.

Do I need to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Healthy Relationships Project is safe for preventing child sexual abuse?

Research has shown that the Healthy Relationships Project has been successfully implemented in schools for over 30 years across 30 states. This history indicates its safety and acceptance in educational settings. The program educates children about healthy relationships, personal safety, and consent, which are crucial for preventing child sexual abuse. Its long-term use and educational focus suggest no known negative effects. Designed for various age groups, the program provides a supportive, safe learning environment for children. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Healthy Relationships Project because it offers a fresh approach to preventing child sexual abuse (CSA) through education in schools. Unlike traditional CSA prevention methods that might focus solely on awareness or reactive measures, this project actively integrates programming into pre-K through 5th-grade classrooms, promoting healthy relationship skills from an early age. This proactive and comprehensive approach aims to empower children with knowledge and skills that can help prevent abuse before it occurs, potentially setting a new standard for CSA prevention in educational settings.

What evidence suggests that the Healthy Relationships Project is effective for preventing child sexual abuse?

Research has shown that the Healthy Relationships Project successfully prevents child sexual abuse. Since the program's inception, confirmed abuse cases in Vermont have decreased by 72% from 1992 to 2020. Additionally, the number of children committing abuse has dropped by 77% during the same period. In this trial, schools in the intervention group will implement the Healthy Relationships Project programming. This program, suitable for various ages, teaches children, caregivers, and teachers to recognize and prevent abuse. It employs a trauma-informed approach, addressing the specific needs of young children to effectively prevent abuse. These results suggest that the Healthy Relationships Project could help reduce child sexual abuse when implemented in schools. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for public and public charter schools in high-need areas of Washington D.C. that enroll children from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. Private schools or those not in designated high-need wards are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

Public schools/public charter schools in high-need wards of Washington D.C.

My child is in pre-k to 5th grade.

Exclusion Criteria

Private schools

School in non high-need wards

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Implementation of the Healthy Relationships Project (HRP) in Pre-K through 5th grade using a stepped wedge randomized trial design

6 months per school group

Ongoing school-based sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after intervention, including data collection on CSA reports and surveys

2 years

Bi-monthly data collection and semi-annual surveys

Qualitative Evaluation

Interviews with school and community stakeholders to assess sustainability and impact of the HRP program

Ongoing throughout the trial

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Healthy Relationships Project

Trial Overview The study evaluates the Healthy Relationships Project, a program aimed at preventing child sexual abuse with over 30 years of use across various states and supportive preliminary data.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Schools receiving HRP programming in pre-k through 5th-grade classrooms.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

Schools that have not received HRP programming. Schools in the control group will continue their normal standard of care for CSA prevention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northeastern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

103

Recruited

72,600+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Couples with higher pre-intervention relationship dissatisfaction showed greater improvements in satisfaction during the 'Hold me Tight' program, supporting the idea that there is more room for improvement in high-risk couples.

Risk factors negatively impacted relationship satisfaction gains during the intervention and follow-up, indicating that vulnerability can hinder the benefits of Couple Relationship Education programs, but specific risk factors varied between self-referred and clinician-referred couples.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Do high-risk couples profit more or less from couple relationship education programs than low-risk couples? Room for improvement and vulnerability effects. Conradi, HJ., Noordhof, A., Dingemanse, P., et al.[2023]

The S2T (Survivor to Thriver) program, a group intervention for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse, facilitated resilience processes such as constructive rumination and coping strengths, indicating its potential as a healing method.

Participants reported significant posttraumatic growth outcomes, including a transformed life philosophy and a new identity as 'thrivers,' suggesting that the program may effectively support recovery and personal development after trauma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Resilience enabling processes and posttraumatic growth outcomes in a group of women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Walker-Williams, HJ., Fouché, A.[2022]

Couples who participated in the EPL (Ein Partnerschaftliches Lernprogramm für Paare) relationship education program had significantly lower divorce rates (27.5%) compared to those who did not participate (52.6%) after 11 years, indicating the program's long-term effectiveness in promoting relationship stability.

Among couples who remained together, 80% reported being happy in their relationships at the follow-up, although only about 55% remembered at least one communication skill taught, suggesting that while the program is effective, retention of specific skills may vary.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prevention of marital instability and distress. Results of an 11-year longitudinal follow-up study. Hahlweg, K., Richter, D.[2019]

Adolescents face significant challenges in sexual and reproductive health, including sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies, highlighting the need for innovative prevention strategies.

Focusing on promoting healthy relationships is a promising approach that could improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes, necessitating the development of a science-based conceptual framework to guide these efforts.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health by promoting healthy relationships. Tharp, AT., Carter, M., Fasula, AM., et al.[2013]

The Safe Touches program significantly improved second- and third-grade students' knowledge of inappropriate touch compared to a control group, indicating its effectiveness in a school-based setting with 492 participants over two years.

Younger children, particularly those in second grade and those in schools with more general education students, showed the most significant gains in understanding inappropriate touch, suggesting that early intervention may be particularly beneficial.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Knowledge Gains Following a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program Among Urban Students: A Cluster-Randomized Evaluation. Pulido, ML., Dauber, S., Tully, BA., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. bouve.northeastern.edu bouve.northeastern.edu/institute-for-health-equity-and-social-justice-research/evaluation-of-the-school-based-healthy-relationships-project/

Evaluation of the School-Based Healthy Relationships Project Data for secondary outcomes will be collected via online surveys and will include changes among caregivers and teachers in knowledge about child sexual abuse, ...

2. safeshores.org safeshores.org/2023/07/25/evaluation-of-the-school-based-healthy-relationships-project/

Evaluation of the school-based Healthy Relationships Project Since its implementation, substantiated cases in Vermont dropped 72% between 1992 and 2020, and the number of child perpetrators dropped 77% ...

3. pcavt.org pcavt.org/hrp-empirical-basis

Empirically Supported Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Healthy Relationships Project is a child sexual abuse prevention curricula that is developmentally appropriate, trauma informed, victim prevention, ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06388850

Evaluation of HRP Among Pre-K Through 5th Grade Aim 1: Test the efficacy of the Healthy Relationships Program in reducing reports of child sexual abuse by implementing a stepped wedge randomized trial design.

5. apha.confex.com apha.confex.com/apha/2025/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/575051

Evaluation of a school-based child sexual abuse ... Partnering with DC's Child Advocacy Center, primary outcome data includes the number/types of CSA investigations by grade and by school. Improvements in ...

6. pcavt.org pcavt.org/healthy-relationships-project

Healthy Relationships Project The Healthy Relationships Project® includes four developmentally appropriate programs designed to promote child safety, prevent child sexual abuse, and address ...

7. ospi.k12.wa.us ospi.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/2023-10/2019-csa-prevention-imr-report-final.pdf

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention At all grade levels, boundaries, personal safety, healthy relationships, and consent are the primary topics covered in CSA prevention materials. For each ...

8. publichealth.jhu.edu publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-07/fy-2019-cdc-report-to-congress-child-sexual-abuse-prevention.pdf

Report to Congress on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Ensuring safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children is a priority to decrease violence, including CSA, and to promote the health ...