# Leveraging Social Networks to Promote Sexual Assault Recovery and Reduce Drinking to Cope through a Web-Based Intervention

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2024 · $75,600

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Sexual assault is a persistent public health problem that affects a substantial proportion of college women and
is often associated with increases in heavy drinking to cope with post-assault distress. Survivors often recover
within social networks such as sororities where heavy drinking is normative, and recovery alongside heavy
drinking peers can exacerbate survivors’ drinking to cope. To address this problem, the current application
involves the development of a novel intervention designed to promote effective support of survivors within
social networks of sororities. Support behaviors incompatible with heavy drinking are expected to increase
perceived support among survivors and reduce alcohol use and related consequences among all intervention
recipients. The research plan involves: (1) developing a new web-based intervention in collaboration with
community stakeholders, (2) testing the feasibility of the intervention within a pilot cluster randomized trial, and
(3) examining network characteristics associated with adoption of support behaviors. The objective of the
overall Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) is to provide Dr. Anna Jaffe
with the research support and training needed to become an independent researcher in the field of alcohol
research. Dr. Jaffe has a strong foundation researching the intersection between alcohol use and sexual
assault, but requires additional training to become an intervention researcher capable of contributing to broad
change by leveraging technology to administer brief interventions within social networks. Administrative
support is needed to ensure the pilot cluster randomized trial is successfully completed following the critical life
event of childbirth and subsequent caretaking responsibilities. Administrative support will be used to hire a
research coordinator to complete essential tasks, including assisting with survey setup and testing, recruitment
and retention efforts, participant payments, and data management and cleaning. This support will facilitate
successful implementation of the pilot cluster randomized trial, including higher enrollment and retention, will
provide pilot data to support a R01 submission to test the intervention on a larger scale and evaluate the
spread of supportive behaviors through social networks. This supplement will also ensure the PI continues to
focus on mentored training activities in intervention development and evaluation, implementation of social
network methods and analyses, and professional development through manuscript and grant writing. Thus,
administrative support to complete the K08 activities will ultimately prepare Dr. Jaffe to lead an innovative and
rigorous program of research to reduce alcohol misuse after sexual assault through technology-based
interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11138316
- **Project number:** 3K08AA028546-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna E. Jaffe
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $75,600
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-09-20 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11138316

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11138316, Leveraging Social Networks to Promote Sexual Assault Recovery and Reduce Drinking to Cope through a Web-Based Intervention (3K08AA028546-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11138316. Licensed CC0.

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