Mental HealthNCT07525778
Evaluating WhatsOK Helpline for Youth With Concerns About Sexual Thoughts and Behaviors
A study testing Contact helpline in people with Mental Health and Social Support, run by Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Research suggests up to 77% of harmful sexual experiences during childhood are caused by other youth. Sometimes called peer-peer abuse or youth-perpetrated child sexual abuse, problematic and harmful sexual behavior among youth (PHSBY) involves sexual behaviors that are not developmentally appropriate and have… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Mental Health, Social Support, Perceived Self-efficacy
- What is being tested?
- Contact helpline
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 920 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 6 Apr 2026to 29 Sep 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 14 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- must be ages 14-17 years at baseline
- must have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- must be able to read, write, and speak in English
Who cannot join
- Under 14 or over 17 years of age
- Does not have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- Previously contacted a helpline or hotline for concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- Is not able to read, write, or speak in English
- Does not consent to participate
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Center for Violence Prevention Research
Jacksonville, Florida, 32235
Nadine Love, 407-575-7763, admin@scienceofviolence.org
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Control Trial Evaluation of WhatsOK for the Primary Prevention of Problematic Sexual Behaviors Among Youth
Research suggests up to 77% of harmful sexual experiences during childhood are caused by other youth. Sometimes called peer-peer abuse or youth-perpetrated child sexual abuse, problematic and harmful sexual behavior among youth (PHSBY) involves sexual behaviors that are not developmentally appropriate and have potential to cause harm to the child or children involved.
Compared to adults, children and adolescents who engage in sexual exploration are at greater risk of making mistakes or causing harm, in large part because they have insufficient information about healthy sexual behavior and development, consent, and related concepts. However, the available support, information, and resources for youth who have engaged in or are at risk of engaging in PSHB are limited.
Read more
To address these unmet needs, Stop it Now! (stopitnow.org) created the first youth-focused website and helpline services (WhatsOK) for young people with concerns about their sexual thoughts, interests, and behaviors. WhatsOK.org is a microsite developed specifically for youth aged 14-21 years. If a child or young person has concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors, the WhatsOK Online Help Center and Helpline can provide support and resources to support healthy behavior and prevent problematic or harmful behavior. If someone has already engaged in PHSBY or if they are unsure about whether what has been done is illegal, they can still reach out for confidential help to learn about taking steps to stop.
Preliminary findings from a longitudinal, observational study of the WhatsOK helpline suggest that youth are willing to seek out help for their (and others') sexual interests and behaviors, highlighting the critical need for prevention strategies targeting youth with potentially concerning sexual behaviors. We examined the characteristics of contacts to the WhatsOK helpline via data collected from pre-set questions on age, primary reason for contact, timing of inquiry relative to other help-seeking, and timing relative to harm caused. Most inquiries came from youth aged 14 to 21 (57.7%) via email (54.4%). Over half (54.6%) had already engaged in harmful or illegal behaviors or were potentially at risk to do so. The majority of contacts sought help prior to seeking out other external professional resources (54%).
The current study is a randomized control trial evaluating the impact of the WhatsOK helpline in reducing PHSBY and improving help-seeking attitudes and behavior in a sample of participants ages 14-17 with concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors.
- Being tested
- Contact helpline
- Keywords
- youth sexual behavior, adolescents, support services, helpline
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being, Sexual Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Contact helplineBehavioural
Participants will be directed to contact the WhatsOK helpline, where they can confidentially discuss their concerns about sexual thoughts or behaviors with a trained counselor
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Helpline condition | Experimental | Participants will be directed to the WhatsOK helpline Receives: Behavioral: Contact helpline |
| Control condition | No intervention | Participants will complete all follow-up surveys but not be directed to the helpline |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Help-seeking behaviors
Investigators will measure whether participants have sought support (beyond their assigned treatment condition) for concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors.
Help-seeking behaviors will be measured using two items. 1.) [In the past time], have you tried to find information related to concerns about your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors? and 2.) [In the past time], have you reached out for support about concerns related to your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors?
Response options are binary "yes/no". Participants can also select "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Sexual behaviors
Investigators will measure a variety of sexual behaviors, such as engaging in sexual contact with someone who does not consent (e.g, Have you ever made someone do sexual things when they didn't want to?); engaging in sexual contact with a young child; viewing or sharing sexual images of/with someone who does not consent; viewing, sharing, or creating sexual images of someone under the age of 18. Researcher created measure.
Measured: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Safety Planning
Participants will be asked two questions about safety planning behaviors that ask if participants have ever thought about specific ways or taken specific steps to make sure they don't engage in sexual behaviors that are illegal or could harm someone else. Participants are asked to choose the statement that best describes them. Options include: "yes, I have thought of specific ways/taken specific steps to avoid these behaviors", "no -I know I won't engage in these behaviors", "no - I need more information to come up with specific ways" or "no - I have ideas but haven't been able to put them into action yet", "no - avoiding these behaviors is not a priority for me". "something else" and "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Well-being
Well-being will be assessed using the 7-item Students' Life Satisfaction Scale. A 7-point Likert scale (from very strongly disagree to very strongly agree) will be used to measure participants' responses. Participants are also able to select "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Internal shame
Investigators will measure internal shame using the 4-item Internal Shame Subscale of the External and Internal Shame Scale. Responses are measures using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from "very strongly disagree" to "very strongly agree". Participants can also select "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Perceived resources
Investigators will measure participants perceptions of resources in their lives for concerns about sexual thoughts and behaviors through a 4-item researcher-created scale (e.g., "There are safe resources available to help people my age with similar concerns about their sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors"). Responses are measured through a 7-point Likert scale that ranges from "very strongly disagree" to "very strongly agree". Participants are also able to select "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Perceived self-efficacy
This is a researcher-created scale. This scale consists of 4 items to measure participants' perceived ability to avoid engaging in harmful or illegal behaviors (e.g., "If I have sexual thoughts that make me feel worried or concerned, I can take steps to address them."). Items are scored on a 7-point Likert Scale which ranges from "very strongly disagree" to "very strongly agree"). Participants are also able to select "prefer not to answer".
Measured: Participants' perceived self-efficacy will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Apr 2026
- Study start6 Apr 2026
- Primary completion29 Sep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion29 Sep 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Mental HealthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 920 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of California, Berkeley
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07525778
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CE-25-026
- Other IDs
- 1 U01CE003741-01-00, 1U01CE003741-01
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 6 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Data sharing would require a data use agreement. Data will be collected on sensitive information (e.g., potentially harmful behaviors) and thus would not be appropriate to release without restrictions.
Publications
National Center for Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY). (n.d.). Overview and definitions. https://www.ncsby.org/professionals
Bright MA, Bodi C, Gordon B, Ortega D, Coleman J. Early Findings of Helpline Inquiries From Youth and Young Adults With Concerns About Their Sexual Thoughts, Behaviors, and Experiences. J Interpers Violence. 2025 Nov;40(21-22):4971-4981. doi: 10.1177/08862605241299446. Epub 2024 Nov 21.
PubMed 39569498Letourneau, E. J., Assini-Meytin, L.C., Kaufman, K. L., Mathews, B., & Palmer, D. (2020). Preventing and addressing child sexual abuse in youth serving organizations: A desk guide for organizational leaders. Baltimore, MD: Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Gewirtz-Meydan A, Finkelhor D. Sexual Abuse and Assault in a Large National Sample of Children and Adolescents. Child Maltreat. 2020 May;25(2):203-214. doi: 10.1177/1077559519873975. Epub 2019 Sep 16.
PubMed 31526040
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Control Trial Evaluation of WhatsOK for the Primary Prevention of Problematic Sexual Behaviors Among Youth
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07525778
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CE-25-026
- Keywords
- youth sexual behavior, adolescents, support services, helpline
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 920 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Center for Violence Prevention Research IncUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of California, Berkeley
- Study start
- 6 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 Sep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 29 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Research suggests up to 77% of harmful sexual experiences during childhood are caused by other youth. Sometimes called peer-peer abuse or youth-perpetrated child sexual abuse, problematic and harmful sexual behavior among youth (PHSBY) involves sexual behaviors that are not developmentally appropriate and have potential to cause harm to the child or children involved.
Compared to adults, children and adolescents who engage in sexual exploration are at greater risk of making mistakes or causing harm, in large part because they have insufficient information about healthy sexual behavior and development, consent, and related concepts. However, the available support, information, and resources for youth who have engaged in or are at risk of engaging in PSHB are limited.
To address these unmet needs, Stop it Now! (stopitnow.org) created the first youth-focused website and helpline services (WhatsOK) for young people with concerns about their sexual thoughts, interests, and behaviors. WhatsOK.org is a microsite developed specifically for youth aged 14-21 years. If a child or young person has concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors, the WhatsOK Online Help Center and Helpline can provide support and resources to support healthy behavior and prevent problematic or harmful behavior. If someone has already engaged in PHSBY or if they are unsure about whether what has been done is illegal, they can still reach out for confidential help to learn about taking steps to stop.
Preliminary findings from a longitudinal, observational study of the WhatsOK helpline suggest that youth are willing to seek out help for their (and others') sexual interests and behaviors, highlighting the critical need for prevention strategies targeting youth with potentially concerning sexual behaviors. We examined the characteristics of contacts to the WhatsOK helpline via data collected from pre-set questions on age, primary reason for contact, timing of inquiry relative to other help-seeking, and timing relative to harm caused. Most inquiries came from youth aged 14 to 21 (57.7%) via email (54.4%). Over half (54.6%) had already engaged in harmful or illegal behaviors or were potentially at risk to do so. The majority of contacts sought help prior to seeking out other external professional resources (54%).
The current study is a randomized control trial evaluating the impact of the WhatsOK helpline in reducing PHSBY and improving help-seeking attitudes and behavior in a sample of participants ages 14-17 with concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Helpline condition | Experimental | Behavioral: Contact helplineParticipants will be directed to the WhatsOK helpline |
| Control condition | No intervention | –Participants will complete all follow-up surveys but not be directed to the helpline |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- must be ages 14-17 years at baseline
- must have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- must be able to read, write, and speak in English
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Under 14 or over 17 years of age
- Does not have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- Previously contacted a helpline or hotline for concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- Is not able to read, write, or speak in English
- Does not consent to participate
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Contact helplineParticipants will be directed to contact the WhatsOK helpline, where they can confidentially discuss their concerns about sexual thoughts or behaviors with a trained counselor | Behavioural | Helpline condition |
Primary outcome
Help-seeking behaviors
Time frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Investigators will measure whether participants have sought support (beyond their assigned treatment condition) for concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors. Help-seeking behaviors will be measured using two items. 1.) [In the past time], have you tried to find information related to concerns about your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors? and 2.) [In the past time], have you reached out for support about concerns related to your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors? Response options are binary "yes/no". Participants can also select "prefer not to answer".
Sexual behaviors
Time frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Investigators will measure a variety of sexual behaviors, such as engaging in sexual contact with someone who does not consent (e.g, Have you ever made someone do sexual things when they didn't want to?); engaging in sexual contact with a young child; viewing or sharing sexual images of/with someone who does not consent; viewing, sharing, or creating sexual images of someone under the age of 18. Researcher created measure.
5 secondary outcomes
Safety Planning
Time frame: Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Well-being
Time frame: Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Internal shame
Time frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Perceived resources
Time frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Perceived self-efficacy
Time frame: Participants' perceived self-efficacy will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Oct 2026.
- BackgroundNational Center for Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY). (n.d.). Overview and definitions. https://www.ncsby.org/professionals
- Results publication: PubMed 39569498Bright MA, Bodi C, Gordon B, Ortega D, Coleman J. Early Findings of Helpline Inquiries From Youth and Young Adults With Concerns About Their Sexual Thoughts, Behaviors, and Experiences. J Interpers Violence. 2025 Nov;40(21-22):4971-4981. doi: 10.1177/08862605241299446. Epub 2024 Nov 21.
- Results publicationLetourneau, E. J., Assini-Meytin, L.C., Kaufman, K. L., Mathews, B., & Palmer, D. (2020). Preventing and addressing child sexual abuse in youth serving organizations: A desk guide for organizational leaders. Baltimore, MD: Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- Results publication: PubMed 31526040Gewirtz-Meydan A, Finkelhor D. Sexual Abuse and Assault in a Large National Sample of Children and Adolescents. Child Maltreat. 2020 May;25(2):203-214. doi: 10.1177/1077559519873975. Epub 2019 Sep 16.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Data sharing would require a data use agreement. Data will be collected on sensitive information (e.g., potentially harmful behaviors) and thus would not be appropriate to release without restrictions.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Contact helpline in people with Mental Health and Social Support, run by Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Melissa Bright, PhD (904-728-1020, mbright@scienceofviolence.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Help-seeking behaviors (time frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07525778, which also lists 4 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2026.