Citation

Senn CY, Hobden KL, Eliasziw M, Barata PC, Radtke HL, McVey GL, Thurston WE. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 2023; 14(2): e2290859.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, The Author(s), Publisher Co-action Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/20008066.2023.2290859

PMID

38109360

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT), the EAAA programme designed for first year university women (17-24 years old) was shown to reduce the likelihood of any (attempted and completed) rape in the next year by 50% (Senn, C. Y., Eliasziw, M., Barata, P. C., Thurston, W. E., Newby-Clark, I. R., Radtke, H. L., & Hobden, K. L. (2015). Efficacy of a sexual assault resistance program for university women. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(24), 2326-2335). Through a non-profit organization, EAAA has been available to universities globally since 2016 using a Train-the-Trainer model. Observations of the 'real world' implementation suggested that universities often altered eligibility criteria (especially year of study and age) in their recruitment.

OBJECTIVE: The current study (2017-2021) evaluated whether EAAA was effective when implemented by universities in Canada outside of the constraints of an RCT.

METHOD: Five universities participated. Women students who signed up to take the EAAA programme on their campuses were recruited for the research. Participants completed surveys at 1-week pre-program and 1-week and 6-months post-programme. Compared to the RCT, participant eligibility was broader, the sample was more diverse in terms of race and sexual identity and had a higher proportion of survivors. Programme fidelity was adequate.

RESULTS: Comparisons in this quasi-experimental design, between students who took the programme and students in the control group (i.e. those who signed up but did not attend the programme), confirmed the effectiveness of the EAAA programme. Reduction of any rape exceeded the a priori benchmark of 37.5%. Completed rape was significantly reduced by 57.3% at 6-months. Reduction in attempted rape of 32.9% was lower than in the RCT likely due to the somewhat older (average age 22 vs 18) sample. Positive changes to previously established mediators of the programme effects were all replicated.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the EAAA is highly effective when implemented by universities even when eligibility for students in terms of year of study and age is broadened.

Language: en

Keywords

university students; sexual violence; effectiveness trial; ensayo de eficacia; estudiantes universitarias; Prevención de la agresión sexual; Sexual assault prevention; sexual victimization; victimización sexual; violencia sexual; 预防性侵犯；性暴力；性受害；有效性试验；大学生