Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Feb 7, 2025
Date Accepted: Sep 2, 2025
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An Internet-delivered sexual assault resistance intervention for undergraduate women (The IDEA3 Trial): A multisite randomized controlled efficacy trial study protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Sexual assault is a serious problem at universities. It is estimated that 1 in 5 women students will experience sexual assault before they graduate.
Objective:
The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to test whether a synchronous online facilitated adaptation of an efficacious intervention (the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act [EAAA] program) can reduce the one-year incidence of rape among 1st and 2nd-year undergraduate women. Secondary aims will assess the impact of the Internet-Delivered EAAA (IDEA3) on other forms of sexual assault (attempted rape, attempted and completed coercion, and non-consensual sexual contact). Tertiary aims will evaluate effects of the program on 1) survivor self-blame in the event of an assault, 2) six known mediators of the intervention effect to guide revision of IDEA3 if necessary, and 3) two exploratory outcomes measuring acceptance of sexualized aggression and sexual empowerment.
Methods:
In this multisite open-label RCT, 1920 diverse women students at 2 Canadian and 4 US universities will be randomly assigned to receive either the 12-hour IDEA3 (intervention arm) or standard of care (control arm: 60-minute, online, live-facilitated consent workshop). Outcomes are measured at baseline, 1-week, 6- and 12-months post-intervention. Sexual assault will be assessed using the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Version. Survivor self-blame and outcomes known to be mediators of EAAA’s reductions in sexual assault will also be measured.
Results:
Recruitment began on October 2, 2023 and the first participant was randomized on October 23, 2023. As of December 2024, 550 participants have been enrolled and randomized.
Conclusions:
If efficacious, IDEA3 will be made available to universities in Canada and the US. To date, six provinces in Canada and the Campus SaVE Act in the US require institutions to provide sexual assault prevention programming. An evidence-based, cost-effective, online option has the potential to become the gold standard. The research, therefore, has the potential to impact women’s health and safety internationally. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06058455
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