Project VERANDA — a survey about barriers and privacy concerns to seeking help
Project VERANDA: Requirement Analysis Survey
An anonymous questionnaire for adults to see what barriers, privacy worries, and attitudes make people with sexual interest in children more or less likely to seek treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Berlin Institute of Health @ Charité Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Berlin, State of Berlin) |
| Trial ID | NCT07424872 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Project VERANDA is an observational, anonymous questionnaire run in English and German that asks adults about barriers to treatment, privacy concerns, and attitudes related to sexual interest in children. Participants provide informed consent via checkbox and responses are collected without personally linkable identifiers; data are encrypted and stored on Charité servers in compliance with GDPR. The questionnaire was pilot-tested with researchers and lay volunteers to check comprehensibility, sensitivity, and technical functionality. Findings will be used to inform measures that could make treatment access and communication safer and more acceptable for affected people.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18 or older who can read English or German, including people with sexual interest in children, professionals who work with related issues, or members of the general public belonging to the defined target groups.
Not a fit: People under 18, individuals seeking direct therapeutic treatment rather than a survey, or anyone unwilling to answer sensitive questions or accept anonymized data handling are unlikely to receive benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help design more private and accessible ways for people with sexual interest in children to seek help, potentially increasing treatment uptake and reducing harmful behaviors.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows therapy engagement can reduce offending-related behaviors and CSAM use, but comparable large-scale surveys of treatment barriers and privacy concerns are relatively uncommon, so this project builds on existing evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Belonging to one of the target groups. * Otherwise, for general members of the public, none. Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 18
Where this trial is running
Berlin, State of Berlin
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin — Berlin, State of Berlin, Germany (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing Poikela
- Email: maija.poikela@bih-charite.de
- Phone: 30 450 528 786
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.