Making an ImPACT

Evaluation of the Not a Number Program to Prevent Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth in Minnesota

The Project

Researchers from the University of New Hampshire, University of Minnesota, and the University of Texas, Arlington have received funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to evaluate the Not a Number trafficking prevention program. The goal of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this program in preventing commercial sexual exploitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Not a Number Curriculum?

What is this study?

What is required of participating sites?

What are we offering agencies who partner with us?

How are we collecting data from youth?

Not a Number is an interactive child trafficking and exploitation prevention curriculum by Love146 that is designed provide youth with information and skills to help keep them safe. Youth learn to identify and utilize healthy support systems. The curriculum includes 5 modules:

An Introduction to Human Trafficking and Exploitation
Society and Culture
Red Flags and Relationships
Vulnerability and Resilience
Reducing Risky Behavior and Getting Help

The study design is a randomized controlled trial, so we are looking for sites that have flexibility to either implement the NAN program within two months of enrolling youth in the study or participate as a control group, where they would have the opportunity to implement the curriculum at a later date.

Key components of study development:

Feedback from youth, agencies, families, and individuals with lived experience
Community based participatory research approach
Consultation with a Research Advisory Board

Help inviting 10+ youth into the study, ages 13-18, who regularly attend your program

Physical space (location) to host the Not a Number sessions

Youth who can participate in a survey in an ongoing capacity, via cell phone or frequently used email address

The flexibility to participate as an implementation or a control site, through random assignment

The study will provide a Not a Number facilitator to the site for the study.
A stipend of $1200 for each site involved in the study as a thank you for your help with the study.
An opportunity for up to two staff members to become certified NAN facilitators if they wish during the study timeframe.

Youth 13-18 can be enrolled in the study if they have signed parental consent and they are interested in participating.
Youth will be provided with a link to an online survey that they can take by phone or at a computer (through an email link)
Four surveys will be offered to youth who have enrolled in the study: A baseline survey and 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up surveys.
Youth participants will be offered a $20 gift card each time they complete a survey.
Youth participation in any of the surveys is completely voluntary and multiple protections are in place to protect youth privacy.