NCT04934189

Empowerment Self-Defense Training for the Prevention of Victimization of Transgender Women

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 30 April 2024

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Empowerment Self Defense Training in Violence, Sexual in 62 participants. Completed in 26 February 2024.

Timeline

11 July 2021

Primary endpoint
25 June 2022

26 February 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Hunter College of City University of New York
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	sequential
Masking	none
Primary purpose	prevention
Enrollment	62
Start date	11 July 2021
Primary completion	25 June 2022
Estimated completion	26 February 2024
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Empowerment Self Defense Training

Conditions studied

• Violence, Sexual — all drugs for Violence, Sexual →

Sponsor

Hunter College of City University of New York

Who can join

Adults 18 to 65, any sex, with Violence, Sexual. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Average Rating on Sexual Assertiveness at Baseline Primary · Baseline

The Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Higher scores are indicative of more impaired assertiveness. The measure comprises a 14-item Relational Sexual Assertiveness subscale and consists of items such as "I worry that my partner won't like me unless I engage in sexual behavior" and "I am easily persuaded to engage in sexual activity" and a 7-item Confidence and Communication subscale. A sample item is "I lack confidence in sexual situations." A total score was created by taking the average of all 14 items (range = 1-5).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	2.77	± 1.15

Change in Sexual Assertiveness From Baseline to 3 Month Followup Primary · Change from Baseline at 3 months

The Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Higher scores are indicative of more impaired assertiveness. The measure comprises a 14-item Relational Sexual Assertiveness subscale and consists of items such as "I worry that my partner won't like me unless I engage in sexual behavior" and "I am easily persuaded to engage in sexual activity" and a 7-item Confidence and Communication subscale. A sample item is "I lack confidence in sexual situations." A total score was created by taking the average of all 14 items (range = 1-5).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	2.47	± 1.18

Change in Sexual Assertiveness From Baseline to 6 Month Follow up Primary · Change from Baseline at 6 months

The Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Higher scores are indicative of more impaired assertiveness. The measure comprises a 14-item Relational Sexual Assertiveness subscale and consists of items such as "I worry that my partner won't like me unless I engage in sexual behavior" and "I am easily persuaded to engage in sexual activity" and a 7-item Confidence and Communication subscale. A sample item is "I lack confidence in sexual situations." A total score was created by taking the average of all 14 items (range = 1-5).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	2.44	± 0.86

Average Number of Resistance Tactics Endorsed at Baseline Primary · Baseline

The Resistance Tactics Questionnaire will be used to measure participants use of six self-defense strategies via "yes" or "no" responses to the question prompt. The self-defense strategies assessed included (a) assertive body language (e.g., walking confidently), (b) assertive verbal responses (e.g., saying "no"), (c) avoiding telegraphing emotions (e.g., providing an assertive verbal response even when nervous), (d) attention to your intuition (e.g., trusting your gut), (e) yelling and running, and (f) physical self-defense. Higher scores indicate greater use of resistance tactics. A total sc

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	4.31	± 1.76

Change in Resistance Tactics From Baseline to 3 Month Follow up Primary · Change from Baseline at 3 months

The Resistance Tactics Questionnaire will be used to measure participants use of six self-defense strategies via "yes" or "no" responses to the question prompt. The self-defense strategies assessed included (a) assertive body language (e.g., walking confidently), (b) assertive verbal responses (e.g., saying "no"), (c) avoiding telegraphing emotions (e.g., providing an assertive verbal response even when nervous), (d) attention to your intuition (e.g., trusting your gut), (e) yelling and running, and (f) physical self-defense. Higher scores indicate greater use of resistance tactics. A total sc

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	4.41	± 1.87

Change in Resistance Tactics From Baseline to 6 Month Follow up Primary · Change from Baseline and 6 months

The Resistance Tactics Questionnaire will be used to measure participants use of six self-defense strategies via "yes" or "no" responses to the question prompt. The self-defense strategies assessed included (a) assertive body language (e.g., walking confidently), (b) assertive verbal responses (e.g., saying "no"), (c) avoiding telegraphing emotions (e.g., providing an assertive verbal response even when nervous), (d) attention to your intuition (e.g., trusting your gut), (e) yelling and running, and (f) physical self-defense. Higher scores indicate greater use of resistance tactics. A total sc

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	4.34	± 1.78

Average Use of Dating Self-Protection Against Rape Strategies at Baseline Primary · Baseline

Participant's use of protective strategies against sexual victimization will be assessed with the Dating Self-Protection Against Rape Scale. Participants will report the frequency with which they engage in a series of 15 behaviors used to for self-protection (e.g., "How often do you pay attention to your dating partner's drug/alcohol intake?"). Responses are provided along a 6-point scale ranging from never to always. Higher scores indicate greater use of self-protective strategies. A total score was created by calculating the average of all 15 items (range: 1-6).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	3.64	± 1.12

Change in Dating Self-Protection Against Rape From Baseline to 3 Month Follow up Primary · Change from Baseline at 3 months

Participant's use of protective strategies against sexual victimization will be assessed with this scale. Participants will report the frequency with which they engage in a series of 15 behaviors used to for self-protection (e.g., "How often do you pay attention to your dating partner's drug alcohol intake?"). Responses are provided along a 6-point scale ranging from never to always. Higher scores indicate greater use of self-protective strategies. A total score was created by calculating the average of all 15 items (range: 1-6).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	3.44	± 1.26

Change in Dating Self-Protection Against Rape From Baseline to 6 Month Follow up Primary · Change from Baseline at 6 months

Participant's use of protective strategies against sexual victimization will be assessed with the Dating Self-Protection Against Rape Scale. Participants will report the frequency with which they engage in a series of 15 behaviors used to for self-protection (e.g., "How often do you pay attention to your dating partner's drug alcohol intake?"). Responses are provided along a 6-point scale ranging from never to always. Higher scores indicate greater use of self-protective strategies. A total score was created by calculating the average of all 15 items (range: 1-6).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	3.68	± 1.19

Average Endorsement of Rape Myth Acceptance at Baseline Scale Secondary · Baseline

The 45-item scale Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale assesses the endorsement of rape myth attitudes supportive of sexual coercion and aggression. Rape myths include "beliefs about rape (i.e., about its causes, context, consequences, perpetrators, victims, and their interaction) that serve to downplay, or justify sexual violence that men commit again women" (Gerger et al., 2007). The scale is formatted on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from "1" (strongly disagree) to "7" (strongly agree). A total score was created by calculating the average rating across all 45-items (range: 1-7).

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	1.81	± .915

Change in Rape Myth Acceptance From Baseline to 3 Month Follow up Secondary · Change from Baseline at 3 months

The Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale is a 45-item scale assessing the endorsement of rape myth attitudes supportive of sexual coercion and aggression. Rape myths include "beliefs about rape (i.e., about its causes, context, consequences, perpetrators, victims, and their interaction) that serve to downplay, or justify sexual violence that men commit against women" (Gerger et al., 2007). The scale is formatted on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from "1" (strongly disagree) to "7" (strongly agree). A total score was created by calculating the average rating across all 45-items (range: 1-7)

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	1.64	± .827

Change in Rape Myth Acceptance From Baseline to 6 Month Follow up Scale Secondary · Change from Baseline at 6 months

This 45-item Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale assesses the endorsement of rape myth attitudes supportive of sexual coercion and aggression. Rape myths include "beliefs about rape (i.e., about its causes, context, consequences, perpetrators, victims, and their interaction) that serve to downplay, or justify sexual violence that men commit against women" (Gerger et al., 2007). The scale is formatted on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from "1" (strongly disagree) to "7" (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate greater endorsement of rape myths. A total score was created by calculating the

Group	Value	95% CI
Empowerment Self-Defense Training- Pre-Post Single Arm Design Pilot Trial	1.78	± .794

Sponsor's own description

The proposed project aims to develop and refine a tailored Empowerment Self Defense (ESD) violence prevention training for diverse TW through a series of sequential Aims: a) develop an initial draft of an ESD violence prevention curriculum tailored to TW (Aim 1); b) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of recruitment, assessment procedures, retention and follow-up procedures, and implementation of the new intervention (Aim 2); and c) assess the preliminary efficacy of the tailored intervention program to increase use of self-protective resistance strategies, mitigate minority stressors and attitudinal barriers to self-defense, and reduce rates of exposure to violence (Exploratory Aim).

The investigators will accomplish these aims using a two-phase research design that begins with formative qualitative work engaging research partners on a community board and a small sample of research participants. Information for Phase 1 can be located in Protocol number 2020-0017. Further refinement and assessment of the feasibility and acceptability of the curriculum using Phase 1 findings will occur in Phase 2 through the delivery of the tailored ESD curriculum to 3 groups of 16 TW. To assess the preliminary efficacy of the tailored intervention, program participants will complete a battery of validated questionnaires assessing use of resistance strategies, gender-minority and general psychological factors hypothesized to mediate the behavioral effects of the intervention, and exposure to victimization experiences prior to, immediately following, and 6 months post-completion of the training. Together, the proposed research will lay the foundation for a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the tailored ESD violence prevention curriculum.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Process adaptations to community-engaged research for preventing victimization against trans women: Failure as a blueprint toward nonexploitative implementation science.
   Smith AM, Hotchkiss M, Gilbert C, Williams DN, et al · · 2023 · cited 7× · PMID 37011169 · DOI 10.1037/amp0001063
2. Mapping Multilevel Contributions to the Sexual Victimization of Trans Women and Trans Feminine People: A Qualitative Intersectional Stigma Analysis.
   Berke DS, Hotchkiss M, Smith AM, Gilbert C. · · 2025 · cited 1× · PMID 39400250 · DOI 10.1080/10538712.2024.2414996