Close to Home Program for Preventing Sexual Violence

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, San Diego

Disqualifiers: Under 14, Over 24

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?

The trial aims to evaluate a program called Close to Home, designed to prevent sexual violence by encouraging communities to collaborate and change social norms. The study will compare 18 communities in California: half will use the Close to Home approach, while the other half will participate in a different program that does not focus on sexual violence prevention. Young people aged 14-24, who are part of specific community programs or nominated by peers, can join this trial. The goal is to determine if Close to Home can create safer community environments. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to innovative community-based solutions for preventing sexual violence.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Close to Home model is safe for community implementation?

Research has shown that the Close to Home (C2H) program is a promising method for preventing sexual violence. It unites community members to find solutions and drive social change. Several communities have implemented the program, involving people from various sectors to strengthen connections and shift societal views on sexual violence. As a non-medical, community-based program, it presents no specific safety concerns. However, researchers continue to study its effectiveness in reducing violence. This ongoing evaluation ensures the program remains helpful and well-received by all participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Close to Home program because it offers a fresh approach to preventing sexual violence by focusing on community mobilization. Unlike traditional methods, which may focus on individual interventions or educational workshops, Close to Home engages entire communities in dialogue and action to transform social norms and strengthen social connections. This community-driven model, adapted from Boston for use in California, stands out as it empowers local communities to take proactive roles in preventing sexual violence, potentially leading to more sustainable and widespread change.

What evidence suggests that the Close to Home model is effective for preventing sexual violence?

Research shows that the Close to Home (C2H) program, which participants in this trial may receive, prevents sexual violence by strengthening community connections and changing social norms. Studies have found that this community-focused approach can help reduce sexual violence. In past projects, the program successfully trained 476 young leaders on preventing violence, building healthy relationships, and understanding media. By involving entire communities in discussions and actions, C2H has highlighted sexual violence as a public health issue. Early evaluations suggest that this method could lead to positive changes in community behavior and attitudes toward sexual violence. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jay G Silverman, PhD

Principal Investigator

Tulane Center on Community-Engaged GBV Research

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for young people aged 14-24 who are involved with partner organizations or nominated by peers in those programs. It's designed to evaluate a community program aimed at preventing sexual violence by changing social norms and strengthening community ties.

Inclusion Criteria

Provide informed consent to participate

I am between 14 and 24 years old.

Must be enrolled in program with partner organization(s) or have been nominated by a peer enrolled in the partner programs

Exclusion Criteria

I am over 24 years old.

I am under 14 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Data Collection

Collection of baseline social network, school-based, and social media data across 14 diverse California communities

6 months

Multiple visits for data collection

Intervention Implementation

Implementation of the Close to Home community mobilization model in selected communities

3 years

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in social norms and incidence of sexual violence

24 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Close to Home

Trial Overview The 'Close to Home' (C2H) initiative, which is not a medical intervention but a community mobilization model aiming to prevent sexual violence through engagement across various sectors and networks, is being tested over five years in California.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Close to Home Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Sites receiving the intervention arm were determined prior to the initiation of the research. The rape crisis center in each community applied for funding from the California Department of Public Health to implement the Close to Home model in their community and they were accepted via a competitive application process. Close to Home (C2H) is a community mobilization model developed in Boston and adapted for California and is specifically designed to prevent SV by strengthening community social connections and engaging whole communities in dialogue and action to transform social norms.

Group II: Control Program Active Control 1 Intervention

The control program is the 4-H Youth Development Program, which is implemented across every county in California via the University of California Cooperative Extension. In 4-H programs, kids and teens complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. The model does not use community mobilization and does not address sexual violence. Control communities were selected based on propensity score matching using sociodemographic and community-level variables related to risk for sexual violence. The closest match was recruited first, and a next-best match was used if the first match declined participation.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Diego

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,215

Recruited

1,593,000+

4-H

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Community Beyond Violence

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Sierra Community House

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Alliance for Community Transformations

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Lumina Alliance

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Strength United

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Center for Community Solutions

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

California Department of Public Health

Collaborator

Trials

7

Recruited

5,800+

ValorUS

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

1,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

An educational program was developed to prevent sexual abuse of children, focusing on safety education and providing children with specific methods to avoid victimization, based on input from parents, teachers, and children.

The program includes essential topics like early detection of abuse, crisis management, and access to counseling, and has been distributed to all elementary schools through the Ministry of Education, indicating a broad commitment to child safety and health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Development of the educational program for prevention of sexual abuse in children]. Lee, KH., Lee, JH., Bae, JY., et al.[2019]

A participatory action approach in five Canadian communities led to improved services for sexual assault survivors, addressing issues like staff shortages and negative responses to disclosure, which are common in rural areas.

The Enhanced Emergency Sexual Assault Services (EESAS) education program significantly increased knowledge and collaboration among service providers, resulting in better service quality and privacy for clients, with positive changes sustained for at least 6 months.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Collaboration with Rural and Remote Communities to Improve Sexual Assault Services. Carter-Snell, C., Jakubec, S., Hagen, B.[2021]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05206994

Evaluation of the Close to Home Program in California ... effectiveness of this community mobilization approach to reduce sexual violence (SV) incidence. California is uniquely poised to conduct this research ...

2. cdph.ca.gov cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Domestic%20Violence%20Prevention/Close%20to%20Home%20Brief%20v3%20ADA.pdf

Close to Home Community Mobilization Project Brief A total of 476 youth leaders were trained in DV/TDV/SV, root causes and intersections of violence, healthy relationships, upstander guidance, media literacy/ ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05206994?term=AREA%5BBasicSearch%5D(california)%20AND%20AREA%5BStudyFirstPostDate%5D%20RANGE%5B2018-06-16,MAX%5D%20AND%20AREA%5BFunderTypeSearch%5D((OTHER_GOV%20OR%20INDIV%20OR%20NETWORK%20OR%20AMBIG%20OR%20OTHER%20OR%20UNKNOWN))&rank=4

Evaluation of the Close to Home Program in California ... effectiveness of this community mobilization approach to reduce sexual violence (SV) incidence. California is uniquely poised to conduct this research ...

4. cdph.ca.gov cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Domestic%20Violence%20Prevention/RFA2023_Appendix1_C2H_Summary.pdf

Overview of the Close to Home Approach Domestic ... By combining expertise in violence with expertise in community organizing, C2H was able to draw attention to a seemingly intractable public health problem that ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7326521/

Close to Home: Evidence on the Impact of Community-Based ... Effects that were beneficial every time they were measured included: increased secondary abstinence; menstrual hygiene management; and violence ...

6. cdph.ca.gov cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/Pages/SexualViolencePrevention/Resources.aspx

Resources - CDPH - CA.gov Close to Home is a promising strategy that engages community members to design solutions for domestic and sexual violence prevention. CDPH will ...

7. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10873269

RePORT ⟩ RePORTER We're sorry but RePORTER doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Please enable it to continue.

8. grantome.com grantome.com/grant/NIH/U01-CE003201-01

Evaluation of the Close to Home Program in California ... Evaluation of the Close to Home Program in California: Assessing the impact of community mobilization to prevent sexual violence at the individual, social ...

9. apha.confex.com apha.confex.com/apha/2023/meetingapi.cgi/Paper/539469?filename=2023_Abstract539469.html&template=Word

Abstract Data were collected on social norms and community connectivity regarding SV, and SV incidence in multiple forms (sexual assault, in-person and online sexual ...