# Mobilizing evidence into tertiary prevention of child sexual abuse: A pilot study

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2024 · $196,058

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Child sexual abuse is one of the most disturbing issues confronting the public health sector. It is estimated that
one in four girls and one in eight boys will be sexually abused before reaching the age of 18. Moreover, victims
of such abuse are known to experience a wide range of psychiatric, behavioral, and relationship problems over
their lifetimes. While much progress has been made in recognizing that child sexual abuse is a major public
health problem, there have been few rigorous studies of tertiary prevention interventions designed to minimize
re-offending amongst those individuals who have perpetrated child sexual abuse. The only random clinical trial
with adult males, who perpetrate the vast majority of sexual abuse, began in 1985 and its final results were
published in 2005. This study, funded by the State of California and a state enhancement grant from the
National Institute on Mental Health, found no differences between treated and untreated sexual offenders using
a first-generation relapse prevention approach, although they found some indications of effectiveness in those
who met the treatment program goals. This proposal describes a feasibility and pilot study of a model tertiary
prevention program designed to target adult men who have committed child sexual abuse. This model
intervention was developed with input from a panel of international experts in sexual offender treatment
convened in September 2019 with funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of
Canada and the Eunice Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development. This application proposes
a small pilot study with a sample drawn from male inmates incarcerated by the Minnesota Department of
Corrections (MnDOC) and within 20-24 months of release from sentences for criminal sexual conduct against
victims aged under 14 years of age. Participants will be randomly assigned to either complete the model
intervention or receive treatment as usual through MnDOC. Data will be collected on the process of
intervention implementation and outcomes of the intervention as measured by participant self-report and
reports of disciplinary actions experienced during participants’ incarceration. Data will also be collected on
factors that could influence outcome, such as therapist characteristics, participant characteristics, motivation,
and participation. Process measures related to intervention completion, barriers encountered, and fidelity to
the intervention will be obtained. The purpose of this proposed project is to provide information and data that
will allow for the design and development of a multinational, random assignment, long-term effectiveness
study. Thus, statistical analysis will explore effect size rather than statistical significance and issues
encountered will be documented. This will allow for calculation of necessary sample size and for modification
of the intervention and methods for a subsequent study to explore t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10756922
- **Project number:** 5R21HD108731-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL H MINER
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $196,058
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-09 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10756922

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10756922, Mobilizing evidence into tertiary prevention of child sexual abuse: A pilot study (5R21HD108731-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10756922. Licensed CC0.

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