An Evaluation of an Online Sexual Assault Resistance Program (IDEA3)

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Efficacy of IDEA3 - An Evidence-based Sexual Assault Resistance Intervention for Undergraduate Women Adapted for Internet Delivery

The goal of this randomized trial is to test whether the Internet-Delivered Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (IDEA3) sexual assault resistance education intervention reduces sexual violence victimization in undergraduate women.

Participants in the intervention group will be asked to attend four three-hour group sessions of a sexual assault resistance program called IDEA3 with a partner, as well as fill out a number of surveys. Participants in the control group will be asked to attend a one-hour consent workshop with a partner and fill out surveys.

Researchers will compare sexual assault victimization between the groups in the one year following the intervention.

Sexual violence (SV), which occurs along a continuum from unwanted sexual contact to rape, is common among young women, with some 40% experiencing sexual assault during their time in college. Given the numerous negative consequences associated with SV, developing effective SV prevention and resistance programs for young adult women is critical for reducing victimization and improving health outcomes for adolescent girls. The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance program has been shown to substantially reduce rates of SV (50% for rape and attempted rape) in young women attending university (ages 17-24). The purpose of the current study is to test the efficacy of the newly adapted Internet-Delivered Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (IDEA3) program in reducing sexual violence victimization among undergraduate women over 12 months of follow-up. IDEA3 is a 12-hour psychoeducational intervention that provides information, skills, and practice aimed at a) decreasing the time needed for young women to assess sexually coercive situations as dangerous and to take action, b) reducing emotional obstacles to taking action, c) increasing the use of the most effective methods of verbal and physical self-defense, and d) identifying sexual and relationship values and boundaries and reinforcing the right to defend them.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1st- and 2nd-year university students at one of the 4 sites
• female-identifying students
• students between ages of 17-24
• able to attend one of the scheduled program groups
• able and willing to be matched with another eligible student

Exclusion Criteria:

- None