Circles of Safety program to prevent child sexual abuse in youth sports
Official title: CE22-003 - Evaluation of Circles of Safety? for the Primary Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
Funded at Center for Violence Prevention Research, INC. · NIH-11178302 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Finding out whether teaching adults in youth sports the Circles of Safety program helps protect children from sexual abuse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Center for Violence Prevention Research, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Melrose, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | September 29, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $399,426 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CE003409-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178302 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are parents, coaches, volunteers, and youth involved in organized youth sports (especially teams or leagues participating through the partner organization).
✕Less likely to help
Children and adults who are not part of participating sports organizations or who need individual clinical treatment for past abuse are unlikely to be included or to receive direct benefit from this trial.
What this research studies
If your child plays organized sports, this project tests a prevention program that trains coaches, volunteers, and league leaders to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. The program offers tailored website materials for sports organizations, direct education for adults who work with youth, and a helpline for anyone affected or concerned about abuse. The researchers are partnering with Stop it Now! (the program creators) and USA Football to run a randomized trial across youth sport organizations. The first two years focus on building community partnerships and a research advisory board to guide how the program is delivered and studied.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce risks in youth sports by improving adult awareness, policies, and access to support services.
How similar studies have gone: Circles of Safety has been delivered widely since 2011 but has not yet had a rigorous randomized trial, and prior community prevention programs have shown mixed results.
Where this research is happening
-
Center for Violence Prevention Research, INC.
Melrose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bright, Melissa — Center for Violence Prevention Research, INC.
- Study coordinator: Bright, Melissa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.