Evaluating WhatsOK Helpline for Youth With Concerns About Sexual Thoughts and Behaviors

Part of paid clinical trials in Jacksonville, Florida.

Sponsor
Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc
Study ID
NCT07525778
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

  • Mental Health
  • Perceived Self-efficacy
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Social Support

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
14 Years - 17 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Contact helpline — BEHAVIORAL
    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 Details

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.

Key Dates

First listed
Apr 13, 2026
Start date
Apr 6, 2026
Status verified
Oct 2026
Primary completion
Sep 29, 2028
Completion
Sep 29, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
920 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Experimental: Helpline condition
    Participants will be directed to the WhatsOK helpline
  • No Intervention: Control condition
    Participants will complete all follow-up surveys but not be directed to the helpline

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) ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Center for Violence Prevention ResearchJacksonvilleFlorida32235
Nadine Love
[email protected]
407-575-7763

Find similar trials in Jacksonville, FL

By research site
Center for Violence Prevention Research· Jacksonville, FL

Related Studies