Sexual AssaultSARE-ANCT05738837
An Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for Adolescent Girls
A study testing A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately in people with Sexual Assault, run by University of Windsor at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sexual Assault
- What is being tested?
- A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 343 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 18 Mar 2023to 3 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 14 to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- None
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: 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.
Read the 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.
- Conditions
- Sexual Assault
- Being tested
- A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately, Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 months
- Keywords
- intervention, adolescents, sexual assault, rape, dating violence, gender-based violence, girls' health, prevention
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediatelyBehavioural
Also called Girls -- Flip the Script with EAAA
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.
Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 monthsBehavioural
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| A-EAAA (Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act) immediately | Experimental | Adolescent adaptation of EAAA sexual assault resistance education (4, 3-hr sessions) begun immediately after baseline randomization Receives: Behavioral: A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately |
| Waitlist Control | Active comparator | 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 Receives: Behavioral: Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 months |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Completed Rape
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.
Measured: Six months after randomization
Secondary outcomes (1)
Attempted Rape
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.
Measured: Six months after randomization
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Feb 2023
- Study start18 Mar 2023
- Primary completion23 Jun 2025
- Study completion3 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Sexual AssaultStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Approximately 900 self-identified girls/young women age 14-18 (who have not already graduated high school) will be recruited from 3 communities in Ontario over two years. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the A-EAAA program immediately (treatment group) or 6 months later (waitlist control group). Control group participants will attend a brief 'usual care' session providing them with basic information on SV and consent in parallel with the treatment group's first session. All participants will complete surveys at 4 timepoints: baseline, 1-week post-intervention (control group matched to treatment group timing), and 6 and 12 months after baseline. The control group will take the A-EAAA program following the 6-month post-survey and complete one additional survey, 1-week after their final program session.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 343 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Windsor
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr. Charlene Y. Senn, University of Windsor
- Investigators
- Charlene Y Senn, PhD, Principal investigator, University of WindsorSara E Crann, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Windsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05738837
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1819-HQ-000057
- Acronym
- SARE-A
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 12 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 14 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Qualified researchers will be allowed to access de-identified survey responses upon request to the PIs.
Publications
Senn CY, Eliasziw M, Barata PC, Thurston WE, Newby-Clark IR, Radtke HL, Hobden KL. Efficacy of a sexual assault resistance program for university women. N Engl J Med. 2015 Jun 11;372(24):2326-35. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1411131.
PubMed 26061837Senn CY, Eliasziw M, Hobden KL, Newby-Clark IR, Barata PC, Radtke HL, Thurston WE. Secondary and 2-Year Outcomes of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women. Psychol Women Q. 2017 Jun;41(2):147-162. doi: 10.1177/0361684317690119. Epub 2017 Mar 2.
PubMed 29503496
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase III Randomized Wait-list Controlled Trial of the Efficacy of the Adolescent Adaptation of the EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05738837
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SARE-A / 1819-HQ-000057
- Conditions
- Sexual Assault
- Keywords
- intervention, adolescents, sexual assault, rape, dating violence, gender-based violence, girls' health, prevention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 343 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of WindsorUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Study start
- 18 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 23 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 3 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
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 design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Approximately 900 self-identified girls/young women age 14-18 (who have not already graduated high school) will be recruited from 3 communities in Ontario over two years. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the A-EAAA program immediately (treatment group) or 6 months later (waitlist control group). Control group participants will attend a brief 'usual care' session providing them with basic information on SV and consent in parallel with the treatment group's first session. All participants will complete surveys at 4 timepoints: baseline, 1-week post-intervention (control group matched to treatment group timing), and 6 and 12 months after baseline. The control group will take the A-EAAA program following the 6-month post-survey and complete one additional survey, 1-week after their final program session.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| A-EAAA (Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act) immediately | Experimental | Behavioral: A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediatelyAdolescent adaptation of EAAA sexual assault resistance education (4, 3-hr sessions) begun immediately after baseline randomization |
| Waitlist Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 monthsUsual 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 |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediatelyAlso: Girls -- Flip the Script with EAAAAdapted 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. | Behavioural | A-EAAA (Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act) immediately |
| Usual care + A-EAAA at 6 monthsParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Waitlist Control |
Primary outcome
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.
1 secondary outcome
Attempted Rape
Time frame: Six months after randomization
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Apr 2026.
- Background: PubMed 26061837Senn CY, Eliasziw M, Barata PC, Thurston WE, Newby-Clark IR, Radtke HL, Hobden KL. Efficacy of a sexual assault resistance program for university women. N Engl J Med. 2015 Jun 11;372(24):2326-35. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1411131.
- Background: PubMed 29503496Senn CY, Eliasziw M, Hobden KL, Newby-Clark IR, Barata PC, Radtke HL, Thurston WE. Secondary and 2-Year Outcomes of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women. Psychol Women Q. 2017 Jun;41(2):147-162. doi: 10.1177/0361684317690119. Epub 2017 Mar 2.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Qualified researchers will be allowed to access de-identified survey responses upon request to the PIs.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Charlene Y Senn, PhD principal investigator
University of Windsor
Sara E Crann, PhD principal investigator
University of Windsor
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing A-EAAA Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program immediately in people with Sexual Assault, run by University of Windsor at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Completed Rape (time frame: Six months after randomization). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05738837, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Apr 2026.