Stopping child sexual abuse with better programs and policies

Rigorously Evaluating Programs and Policies to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) - 2022

NIH-funded research University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11414751

This project tests whether specific programs and policies can better protect children and families from sexual abuse.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Ann Arbor, United States)
Project IDNIH-11414751 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will work with schools, community groups, and service agencies to put prevention programs and policy changes into action and compare outcomes. Families, caregivers, educators, and providers may be invited to take part in programs, complete surveys or interviews, and allow safe review of relevant records to track results over time. The team will compare communities or sites using different prevention approaches to see which ones reduce risk and improve safety for children. Protections for privacy and child safety would be built into any participation procedures.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are families with children, caregivers, school staff, and community organizations in areas where prevention programs are being offered.

Not a fit: People living outside participating communities, adults without caregiving roles, or those not involved in program sites may not receive direct benefits from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce the number of child sexual abuse cases and improve supports for affected children and families.

How similar studies have performed: Some school- and community-based prevention programs have helped children learn safety skills, but strong evidence that specific policies reduce abuse rates is limited, so rigorous comparisons are still needed.

Where this research is happening

Ann Arbor, 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.