Commercial Sexual ExploitationNCT07503912
Evaluation of the Not A Number Trafficking Prevention Program in Minnesota
A study testing Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth and Mindfulness Training in people with Commercial Sexual Exploitation, run by University of New Hampshire.
Trial summary
Although the exact scope of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) remains unknown, its significant negative physical and emotional consequences for children has been well-documented. The U.S. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 17 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Commercial Sexual Exploitation
- What is being tested?
- Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth and Mindfulness Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 450 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2026to 30 Sep 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 13 to 17 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Age only
Who cannot join
- None
About this study
Official title: Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of the Not A Number Trafficking Prevention Program in MN
Although the exact scope of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) remains unknown, its significant negative physical and emotional consequences for children has been well-documented. The U.S. government recognized the need for improved CSEC prevention over two decades ago and recent legislation has been introduced to further increase funding for prevention programs. However, there is little evaluation research to guide communities on best practices, and questions remain about how to most effectively approach primary prevention for CSEC.
This study involves a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of the Not a Number (NAN)- a CSEC prevention program. NAN, developed by the non-profit organization Love 146, is delivered nationally with a unique train-the-trainer model in Minnesota to reach youth at heightened risk for CSEC victimization.
The RCT will be conducted at 32 implementation sites (15 youth enrolled as participants per site, N=480), with sites randomly assigned to an implementation or a wait-list control condition. We will examine a range of program outcomes, including a reduction in CSEC victimization (primary outcome), through a pre-test/post-test design (follow-up data collection at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months).
Read the detailed description
A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial study is planned with an aim of enrolling 480 youth (13-17 years old) to participate from 32 partner agencies (approximately 15 youth per agency). Subjects will be enrolled from 4 cohorts of 6-10 implementation sites in each of four waves quarterly over a year (for a total of 32 sites). Each cohort of six to ten agencies per wave will be systematically paired using agency-level characteristics such as size and youth client demographics. Each agency in a pair will then be randomly assigned to either an implementation condition or a wait-list control condition.
Youth at agencies in the implementation condition will be provided with the Not a Number (NAN) program immediately after baseline measurement, with youth at the wait-list control sites offered a 30-minute mindfulness training program (placebo condition) and an opportunity to receive the program six months later.
Youth at all sites will be provided with information about the study and invited to participate by key contacts at each partner agency. We will work with each partner site to identify optimal strategies for approaching youth and legal guardians about the study given their population of youth, their programmatic structure, and their relationship with families. All caregivers and youth will be informed that participation in the study is voluntary and that all youth who can participate in the NAN program at their agency may do so, regardless of whether they have caregiver consent or provide assent to participate in the research component.
Youth who have caregiver consent, and provide their informed assent to participate, will be enrolled in the study. Using contact information provided to researchers, youth enrolled at all participating agencies will be sent a link by email or text (their preference) to a secure online survey hosted at UNH (Qualtrics). The links will be unique to each youth. Links to surveys will be sent as a text message or email with a generic sounding title (e.g., UNH Teen Survey).
Survey links will be sent to youth at four time points: 1) Prior to any program administration for implementing sites (Baseline survey); 2) Approximately six-weeks after baseline survey administration (and following program administration for implementation site youth) (Six-week follow-up survey); 3) Six months after baseline survey administration (Six month follow-up survey); and 4) Twelve months after baseline survey administration (Twelve-month follow-up survey). Each survey will be designed to take the youth approximately 30 minutes to complete. Youth will be provided with a $20 gift card (e.g., for a locally accessible store like Target or an online store like Amazon) for each survey completed.
Youth from wait-list control condition sites will have the opportunity to receive the NAN program between the six-month and one-year follow-up surveys, providing additional program information on shorter-term outcomes for these youth, while also allowing for longer-term follow-up data on program impact for other youth.
- Conditions
- Commercial Sexual Exploitation
- Being tested
- Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth, Mindfulness Training
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Trafficking Prevention Education for YouthBehavioural
The Trafficking Prevention Program involves 5 60 minute lesson modules
Mindfulness TrainingBehavioural
30 minute mindfulness training program for youth designed by research staff
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure to the Not a Number Prevention Education Program | Experimental | The Not a Number (NAN) trafficking prevention program was developed by the non-profit, anti-trafficking program Love 146. It is an interactive, 5-module curriculum developed for youth ages 12-18, designed to help prevent youth human trafficking and exploitation by: 1) providing information on human trafficking and exploitation; 2) teaching youth to recognize recruitment tactics and understand vulnerability; 3) practicing refusal skills with youth that can help them avoid or reduce risk; 4) identifying healthy support systems; 4) teaching skills to navigate potential and existing exploitative situations; and 5) increasing youth awareness of community helping resources. The developers worked to integrate components associated with effective prevention programs generally, including varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, opportunities for positive relationships, and developmental and socio-cultural relevance. Receives: Behavioral: Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth |
| 30 minute Mindfulness Training program | Placebo comparator | Youth in control condition groups will receive a 30-minute mindfulness training program designed by one of the research staff members. Receives: Behavioral: Mindfulness Training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
commercial sexual exploitation victimization
Measurement of the key outcome of interest is collected via survey questions. A single question was designed to capture the outcome in the survey: ● Have you traded sex or sexual activity for money or other items of value?
The item is embedded in a larger scale developed by the team to capture general exposure to commercial sexual exploitation.
Measured: prior six months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Commercial Sexual ExploitationStudies 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
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 450 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of New Hampshire
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Minnesota
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lisa Jones, University of New Hampshire
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07503912
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UNH-16-FY2023_193-01
- Other IDs
- 5 U01CE003406-04-00, 5U01CE003406-04
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 31 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 31 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of the Not A Number Trafficking Prevention Program in MN
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07503912
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UNH-16-FY2023_193-01
- Conditions
- Commercial Sexual Exploitation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 450 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of New HampshireUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Minnesota
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 31 Mar 2026 (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.
Although the exact scope of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) remains unknown, its significant negative physical and emotional consequences for children has been well-documented. The U.S. government recognized the need for improved CSEC prevention over two decades ago and recent legislation has been introduced to further increase funding for prevention programs. However, there is little evaluation research to guide communities on best practices, and questions remain about how to most effectively approach primary prevention for CSEC.
This study involves a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of the Not a Number (NAN)- a CSEC prevention program. NAN, developed by the non-profit organization Love 146, is delivered nationally with a unique train-the-trainer model in Minnesota to reach youth at heightened risk for CSEC victimization.
The RCT will be conducted at 32 implementation sites (15 youth enrolled as participants per site, N=480), with sites randomly assigned to an implementation or a wait-list control condition. We will examine a range of program outcomes, including a reduction in CSEC victimization (primary outcome), through a pre-test/post-test design (follow-up data collection at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months).
Detailed description
A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial study is planned with an aim of enrolling 480 youth (13-17 years old) to participate from 32 partner agencies (approximately 15 youth per agency). Subjects will be enrolled from 4 cohorts of 6-10 implementation sites in each of four waves quarterly over a year (for a total of 32 sites). Each cohort of six to ten agencies per wave will be systematically paired using agency-level characteristics such as size and youth client demographics. Each agency in a pair will then be randomly assigned to either an implementation condition or a wait-list control condition.
Youth at agencies in the implementation condition will be provided with the Not a Number (NAN) program immediately after baseline measurement, with youth at the wait-list control sites offered a 30-minute mindfulness training program (placebo condition) and an opportunity to receive the program six months later.
Youth at all sites will be provided with information about the study and invited to participate by key contacts at each partner agency. We will work with each partner site to identify optimal strategies for approaching youth and legal guardians about the study given their population of youth, their programmatic structure, and their relationship with families. All caregivers and youth will be informed that participation in the study is voluntary and that all youth who can participate in the NAN program at their agency may do so, regardless of whether they have caregiver consent or provide assent to participate in the research component.
Youth who have caregiver consent, and provide their informed assent to participate, will be enrolled in the study. Using contact information provided to researchers, youth enrolled at all participating agencies will be sent a link by email or text (their preference) to a secure online survey hosted at UNH (Qualtrics). The links will be unique to each youth. Links to surveys will be sent as a text message or email with a generic sounding title (e.g., UNH Teen Survey).
Survey links will be sent to youth at four time points: 1) Prior to any program administration for implementing sites (Baseline survey); 2) Approximately six-weeks after baseline survey administration (and following program administration for implementation site youth) (Six-week follow-up survey); 3) Six months after baseline survey administration (Six month follow-up survey); and 4) Twelve months after baseline survey administration (Twelve-month follow-up survey). Each survey will be designed to take the youth approximately 30 minutes to complete. Youth will be provided with a $20 gift card (e.g., for a locally accessible store like Target or an online store like Amazon) for each survey completed.
Youth from wait-list control condition sites will have the opportunity to receive the NAN program between the six-month and one-year follow-up surveys, providing additional program information on shorter-term outcomes for these youth, while also allowing for longer-term follow-up data on program impact for other youth.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure to the Not a Number Prevention Education Program | Experimental | Behavioral: Trafficking Prevention Education for YouthThe Not a Number (NAN) trafficking prevention program was developed by the non-profit, anti-trafficking program Love 146. It is an interactive, 5-module curriculum developed for youth ages 12-18, designed to help prevent youth human trafficking and exploitation by: 1) providing information on human trafficking and exploitation; 2) teaching youth to recognize recruitment tactics and understand vulnerability; 3) practicing refusal skills with youth that can help them avoid or reduce risk; 4) identifying healthy support systems; 4) teaching skills to navigate potential and existing exploitative situations; and 5) increasing youth awareness of community helping resources. The developers worked to integrate components associated with effective prevention programs generally, including varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, opportunities for positive relationships, and developmental and socio-cultural relevance. |
| 30 minute Mindfulness Training program | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Mindfulness TrainingYouth in control condition groups will receive a 30-minute mindfulness training program designed by one of the research staff members. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Age only
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Trafficking Prevention Education for YouthThe Trafficking Prevention Program involves 5 60 minute lesson modules | Behavioural | Exposure to the Not a Number Prevention Education Program |
| Mindfulness Training30 minute mindfulness training program for youth designed by research staff | Behavioural | 30 minute Mindfulness Training program |
Primary outcome
commercial sexual exploitation victimization
Time frame: prior six months
Measurement of the key outcome of interest is collected via survey questions. A single question was designed to capture the outcome in the survey: ● Have you traded sex or sexual activity for money or other items of value? The item is embedded in a larger scale developed by the team to capture general exposure to commercial sexual exploitation.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 31 Mar 2026.
Related trials for Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Recruiting
Rigorous Evaluation of the READY to Stand Curriculum to Prevent the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Sex Trafficking, Sex Crimes
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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Trafficking Prevention Education for Youth and Mindfulness Training in people with Commercial Sexual Exploitation, run by University of New Hampshire.
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 1 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
commercial sexual exploitation victimization (time frame: prior six months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 31 Mar 2026.