# CE23-003 - Taking A Public Health Perspective on Human Trafficking: An Evaluation of the PROTECT Prevention Program

> **NIH ALLCDC K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2023 · $146,236

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Human trafficking is a pervasive form of violence which affects the health, safety, and wellbeing of youth in the
United States (US). Human trafficking is disproportionately experienced by women, those in poverty, those who
have experienced other forms of violence, sexuality and gender minorities, and racial and ethnic minorities,
positioning it as an important contributor to population health. Historically, human trafficking has been viewed
through a criminal legal lens, meaning efforts have focused on intervening after human trafficking has occurred.
However, human trafficking is a pervasive form of violence which also merits a comprehensive public health
response. One such effort is the PROTECT program, a violence prevention program which operates at the
individual, family, and school level to promote protective factors, increase awareness of human trafficking, and
change behaviors with the goal of preventing human trafficking among youth. The program has been completed
by more than 700 thousand students and nearly 90 thousand adults; yet, it has not been independently
evaluated. In response to RFA-CE-23-003, I propose an independent evaluation of the PROTECT program. This
project is led by an early-career investigator supported by a mentorship team of senior scholars with extensive
experience conducting violence and prevention research. This project has three aims and will employ a school-
level randomized control trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of the PROTECT program. In Aim 1 I will
survey youth, caregivers, and school employees in the intervention and control groups prior to and after program
implementation to examine the effect of the program on knowledge about human trafficking, protective factors
for youth, and changed behaviors. In Aim 2, I will examine the enduring effect of the program through a follow
up survey 1-year after program implementation. Then, in Aim 3, I will examine cross-over effects related to
school performance and discipline using school level administrative data. Together, these aims will evaluate the
effectiveness of this comprehensive and cross-cutting violence prevention program and inform program
improvements to reduce human trafficking. Through this career development award, I will also develop 
 
 Long-term these skills
and experiences will help me achieve my goal of research independence through an R series award from the
National Institutes of Health and promotion to Associate Professor with tenure. Prevention efforts are needed to
provide adolescents, their families, and their schools with the tools and knowledge to reduce risk prior to human
trafficking. The results of this project will improve our understanding of using a public health approach to the
violence issue of human trafficking and prevent human trafficking through the intervention and subsequent
program improvements.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10760022
- **Project number:** 1K01CE003539-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Erin J McCauley
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $146,236
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10760022

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10760022, CE23-003 - Taking A Public Health Perspective on Human Trafficking: An Evaluation of the PROTECT Prevention Program (1K01CE003539-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10760022. Licensed CC0.

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