An Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for Adolescent Girls (SARE-A)

April 9, 2026 updated by: Dr. Charlene Y. Senn, University of Windsor

A Phase III Randomized Wait-list Controlled Trial of the Efficacy of the Adolescent Adaptation of the EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program

Sexual violence (SV) perpetrated by dating partners and male acquaintances is common among adolescent girls in high school. Girls and young women who experience SV are likely to encounter negative mental and physical health consequences as well as lowered academic performance. While educational interventions to address the problem of SV are numerous, when evaluated, few show any capacity to reduce sexual violence victimization or perpetration. The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance program for female university students (ages 17-24) is a rare exception; in a rigorous trial, EAAA reduced attempted and completed rape by 50% in the following year. The current randomized controlled trial (RCT) will test whether a version of EAAA that has been adapted for younger girls (age 14-18) who have not graduated high school (called the Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act [A-EAAA]) will result in similar benefits within a 6-month follow-up. The current RCT will be conducted across three sites in Ontario, Canada.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Sexual violence (SV), which occurs along a continuum from unwanted sexual contact to rape, is common among adolescent girls and young women: research suggests 1 in 7 teen girls experiences SV. Perpetrators of SV are overwhelmingly male; however, the programs that exist to address boys'/men's perpetration are not sufficiently effective nor are they widely available. Other approaches to sexual assault prevention for adolescents, such as bystander programs, have not been shown to reduce sexual violence victimization or perpetration. Given the numerous negative consequences associated with SV, developing effective SV prevention and resistance programs targeting teens is critical for reducing victimization and improving health outcomes for adolescent girls. The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance program has been shown to substantially reduce rates of SV (50% for rape and attempted rape) in young women attending university (ages 17-24), but since it was designed for university students in a different developmental stage, an evidence-based adaptation was necessary. The purpose of the current study is to test the efficacy of the newly adapted Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (A-EAAA) program in reducing sexual violence victimization among adolescent girls within 6-months of trial entry. We will continue to follow participants for one-year to evaluate whether changes in tertiary outcomes (e.g., mediators) are maintained to 12-months. A-EAAA is a 12-hour psychoeducational intervention that provides information, skills, and practice aimed at a) decreasing the time needed for girls to assess sexually coercive situations as dangerous and to take action, b) reducing emotional obstacles to taking action, c) increasing the use of the most effective methods of verbal and physical self-defense, and d) identifying sexual and relationship values and boundaries and reinforcing the right to defend them.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
343

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Charlene Y Senn, PhD
  • Phone Number: 2255 (519) 253-3000
  • Email: csenn@uwindsor.ca

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N9B3P4
        • University of Windsor

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Self-identified girls aged 14 to 18 years;
  • have not graduated high school;
  • competence in spoken and written English;
  • provide informed consent;
  • able to attend one of the scheduled programs in the data collection period in which they are enrolled.

Exclusion Criteria:

None

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: A-EAAA (Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act) immediately
Adolescent adaptation of EAAA sexual assault resistance education (4, 3-hr sessions) begun immediately after baseline randomization
Behavioral: A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately
Adapted from the EAAA program created for university women, A-EAAA is designed for teen girls of all sexual identities and experience levels. It focuses on resisting sexual assault (SA) committed by male acquaintances with 4, 3-hour units: Unit 1(Assess) strengthens girls' ability to detect risk in contexts involving male acquaintances and helps develop strategies to reduce it. Unit 2(Acknowledge) helps girls explore ways to overcome their own emotional barriers preventing them from acknowledging risk and employing effective resistance strategies with males they know. Unit 3(Act) provides evidence on effectiveness of various resistance strategies and teaches verbal and physical self-defense focused on common acquaintance SA situations. Unit 4 (Relationships&Sexuality) is an adaptation of Our Whole Lives curriculum and aims to increase girls' comfort talking about sex/sexuality and identify their sexual values/desires and explore possibilities for sexual practices beyond intercourse.
Other Names:
  • Girls -- Flip the Script with EAAA
Active Comparator: Waitlist Control
Usual care 30-min session (brief presentation on consent/sexual assault; access to local resource pamphlets) immediately after baseline randomization; A-EAAA (4, 3-hr sessions) at 6-months post-randomization
Behavioral: Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 months
Participants assigned to the waitlist control group will immediately receive a brief educational session on sexual assault that represents the current 'standard of care' at Canadian high schools (often presented by local Sexual Assault Centres or Public Health nurses). This 30-min session will involve a brief 15 - 20-minute presentation on sexual consent, respect in relationships, and sexual assault (e.g., definitions, prevalence statistics). This will be conducted by a well-trained and knowledgeable Research Assistant. Following the presentation, participants will be invited to take and read brochures provided on sexual assault, and to ask questions about the content of the presentation and brochures. At 6-months, participants will be scheduled to receive A-EAAA.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Completed Rape
Time Frame: Six months after randomization
The Sexual Experiences Survey Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) will be used to measure the primary sexual assault outcomes. Completed rape will have occurred when a participant indicates she has had at least one experience of threatened, forced, or drugged completed (not attempted) sexual activity (oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse - answered 'once' or more to any of 9 questions (2c, 2d, 2e, 3c, 3d, 3e, 4c, 4d, or 4e) in the period between the baseline measurement and the 6-month survey measurement.
Six months after randomization

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Attempted Rape
Time Frame: Six months after randomization
The SES-SFV will also be used to measure secondary sexual assault outcomes: Attempted rape will have occurred when a participant indicates she has had at least one experience of threatened, forced, or drugged attempted (not completed) sexual activity (oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse - answered 'once' or more to any of 9 questions (5c, 5d, 5e, 6c, 6d, 6e, 7c, 7d, or 7e) in the period between the baseline and the 6-month survey.
Six months after randomization

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Other Forms of Sexual Assault
Time Frame: Six months after randomization

The SES-SFV will also be used to measure tertiary sexual assault outcomes:

  1. Non-penetrative forced sexual contact will have occurred when a participant indicates she has had at least one such experience of non-penetrative sexual contact by any perpetrator strategy - answered 'once' or more to any of 5 questions (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e).
  2. Completed sexual coercion will have occurred when a participant indicates she has had at least one experience of coerced (not forced) completed sexual activity (oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse - answered 'once' or more to any of 6 questions (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b).
  3. Attempted sexual coercion will have occurred when a participant indicates she has had at least one experience of coerced (not forced) attempted (not completed) sexual activity (oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse - answered 'once' or more to any of 6 questions (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b).
Six months after randomization
Self-Defense Self-Efficacy
Time Frame: 1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Measured with a questionnaire adapted by Senn et al. (2011) from Marx, Calhoun, Wilson, & Meyerson (2001) will be used to assess changes from baseline in girls' confidence that they could defend themselves if confronted with a sexual assault situation.
1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Perception of Personal Risk
Time Frame: 1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
A single item adapted from Gray, Lesser, & Brounds (1990) will be used to measure girls' and young women's perception of their personal risk of sexual assault by male acquaintances.
1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Detection of Risk Cues
Time Frame: 1-week post intervention, 6-months
Scenario measures will be used to assess participants' ability to detect risk in hypothetical acquaintance scenarios. At 1-week post-intervention (measure adapted from Testa et al. (2006)), at 6- -months (acquaintance scenario adapted from Messman-Moore & Brown (2006)). Each measure can only be used once.
1-week post intervention, 6-months
Knowledge/Willingness to use Effective Self-Defense Strategies
Time Frame: 1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Direct Resistance subscale of Testa et al. (2006)'s measure used at 1-week post intervention. A survey adapted from Senn, Gee, & Thake (2011) will be used to measure changes from baseline in participants' knowledge of the most effective self-defense strategies.
1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Rape Beliefs
Time Frame: 1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
The Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale (Payne et al., 1999; McMahon & Farmer, 2011), the Perceived Causes of Rape scale (Cowan & Campbell, 1995; Cowan & Quinton, 1997), and the Attitudes Toward Male Sexual Violence scale (Prince et al., 1999) will be used to measure girls' beliefs about rape.
1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Experience of Embodiment
Time Frame: 1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Girls' sense of embodiment (i.e., the extent to which they feel in tune and comfortable with their bodies), measured via Piran & Teall (2012)'s questionnaire.
1-week post-intervention, six months after randomization
Self-Blame Following Sexual Assault
Time Frame: six months after randomization
Behavioral self-blame subscale from Frazier et al. (2005) will be used to assess the extent to which girls who are sexually assaulted in the follow-up timeframe of the trial blame themselves for the incident(s).
six months after randomization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Windsor

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Charlene Y Senn, PhD, University of Windsor
  • Principal Investigator: Sara E Crann, PhD, University of Windsor

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 18, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 23, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 3, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 12, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 12, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 22, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1819-HQ-000057

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Qualified researchers will be allowed to access de-identified survey responses upon request to the PIs.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

from first publication (estimated 2026) for 5 years.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Request submitted to one of the PIs from qualified university researcher.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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