Refinement and Evaluation of a Multilevel Intervention for Preventing Men's Use of Violence in Urban South Africa (Sonke CHANGE Trial)
Refinement and Evaluation of a Multilevel Intervention for Preventing Men's Use of Violence in Urban South Africa (Sonke CHANGE Trial)
South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence towards women globally. However, little is known about how to prevent men's use of violence. The Sonke CHANGE Trial tests an intervention that targets men as individuals, groups, and community members in a peri-urban setting in South Africa. Eighteen neighborhoods will be randomly assigned to either the intervention condition or a control group. By speaking to men at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months, investigators will learn whether violence and other health behaviors shift over time. Alongside the trial, qualitative research will explore how the intervention took place and why participants may change attitudes or behaviors.
This study will refine and evaluate a multi-level model for reducing violence against women and girls in urban South Africa.
The intervention is a refinement of an existing gender-transformative programme that includes community mobilisation and advocacy. Called the Sonke CHANGE intervention, it will extend beyond a conventional group-based workshop approach to address the multi-level nature of violence and create an enabling environment for men to embrace more equitable forms of masculinity. Given the strong associations between masculinities and men's use of partner violence, now is an opportune moment to test the Sonke CHANGE model to determine its impact on men's use of violence.
The multi-level Sonke intervention will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial design. In a peri-urban setting of Diepsloot, neighbourhood "clusters" (n=18) will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention or a wait-list condition. Baseline, 12 month, and 24 month measures will assess changes in primary outcomes (men's reported use of intimate partner and non-partner violence) and secondary outcomes (severe violence, masculinity norms, harmful alcohol use, mental health). Formative qualitative research will explore the environmental context of Diepsloot, community views on violence, men's mobility, and their experiences of fathering. A longitudinal process evaluation will explore intervention delivery, unfolding of the advocacy element of Sonke CHANGE intervention, and potential mechanisms to change amongst participants.
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