Circles of Safety program to prevent child sexual abuse in youth sports
Evaluation of Circles of Safety for the Primary Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
This project will test whether the Circles of Safety program helps coaches and league leaders in youth sports prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 1500 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gainesville, Florida) |
| Trial ID | NCT07526142 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This matched cluster randomized controlled project delivers the Circles of Safety prevention program to youth sports league leaders, staff, and coaches and compares outcomes to matched control leagues. Primary outcomes include occurrences of child sexual abuse among served youth athletes, observed protective versus inappropriate behaviors by coaches and leaders, and changes in knowledge, confidence to identify and address abuse, and resource-seeking actions. Adult participants must be 18 or older, English-speaking, and able to consent, and children are not enrolled directly. The intervention is led by the Center for Violence Prevention Research in Gainesville, Florida.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adult (18+) English-speaking youth sports league leaders, staff, or coaches who can provide their own consent and work with youth athletes.
Not a fit: Children are not direct participants and non-English speakers or people unable to give consent would not receive benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could reduce instances of child sexual abuse in youth sports and improve coaches' ability to prevent, identify, and respond to abuse.
How similar studies have performed: Similar primary-prevention programs in youth-serving organizations have shown mixed promise, but rigorous matched cluster randomized trials are limited, so this approach remains relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must be at least 18 years of age. * Participants must be a youth sports leader or coach. * Participants must be an English speaker. * Participants must be able to provide consent for themselves. Exclusion Criteria: * Children are not included as direct participants in this study. * Anyone who is not able to provide consent because they are a non-English speaker or have cognitive impairment.
Where this trial is running
Gainesville, Florida
- Center for Violence Prevention Research — Gainesville, Florida, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Melissa Bright, PhD — Center for Violence Prevention Research
- Study coordinator: Melissa Bright
- Email: mbright@scienceofviolence.org
- Phone: 904-728-1020
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.