Evaluating a program to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Minnesota

CE22-003 - A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of the Not a Number Program to Prevent the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and Youth in Minnesota

NIH-funded research University of New Hampshire · NIH-11120823

This study is testing a program called Not a Number that helps protect kids and teens in Minnesota from being exploited, and it's designed for youth-serving organizations to learn how to better support at-risk youth.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of New Hampshire NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Durham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11120823 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research evaluates the Not a Number (NAN) program, which aims to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth in Minnesota. The program is delivered through a train-the-trainer model to at-risk youth and is being assessed for its effectiveness using a rigorous cluster randomized controlled trial methodology. The study will involve collaboration with 24 youth-serving agencies and will utilize a Community Based Participatory Research approach to gather insights from the community on prevention strategies. The research will be conducted over five years, focusing on refining methodologies and implementing the evaluation.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are youth in Minnesota who are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation.

Not a fit: Patients who are not at risk of commercial sexual exploitation may not receive any benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the rates of commercial sexual exploitation among youth in Minnesota.

How similar studies have performed: While the Not a Number program is evidence-supported, this specific evaluation is novel and has not been previously tested.

Where this research is happening

Durham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.