A Cluster-Randomized Control Trial Assessing Knowledge Gain and Implementation Fidelity of the Empower Me! Child...

Child sexual abuse is a global issue with a prevalence of roughly one in five children victimized. Several decades of research have established school-based prevention programs as effective tools for helping students understand their rights, knowing what resources are available, and equipping them with skills in prevention. While many studies have shown effectiveness in CSA prevention programming, many fail to rigorously and comprehensively evaluate both implementation fidelity and outcomes, and most neglect rural communities. This study uses a cluster randomized control trial in five rural elementary schools to evaluate the Empower Me! curriculum. Implementation was assessed using facilitator feedback and observations, while outcomes were assessed using difference-in-difference regression models to assess average knowledge gains between children in treatment and control groups at pre- and posttest. Results show that the training was effectively and easily implemented in accordance with curriculum training protocols. Child knowledge increased significantly from pre- to posttest in the treatment group (from 80% to 91% accuracy on a knowledge scale). Moreover, the treatment group increased significantly more (8.2%) than the control group. Scores for those in the treatment group remained significantly higher at a 6-week follow-up assessment. Boys' scores started lower than girls' but increased significantly to match girls' scores at the posttest. Finally, all but 4 of the 15 items in the survey significantly increased from pre- to posttest, ranging from -1.4 to 32.3 percentage point increases. Given the high level of fidelity for both the facilitator training and the curriculum implementation, results show Empower Me! is an easy to adopt curriculum that is effective in schools in rural areas and for both boys and girls.