NCT02823288

Multilevel Intervention for Preventing Men's Use of Violence in Urban South Africa (Sonke CHANGE Trial)

Refinement and Evaluation of a Multilevel Intervention for Preventing Men's Use of Violence in Urban South Africa (Sonke CHANGE Trial)

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 2,603 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Witwatersrand, South Africa · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence towards women globally. However, little is known about how to prevent men's use of violence. The Sonke CHANGE Trial tests an intervention that targets men as individuals, groups, and community members in a peri-urban setting in South Africa. Eighteen neighborhoods will be randomly assigned to either the intervention condition or a control group. By speaking to men at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months, investigators will learn whether violence and other health behaviors shift over time. Alongside the trial, qualitative research will explore how the intervention took place and why participants may change attitudes or behaviors.

Detailed description

This study will refine and evaluate a multi-level model for reducing violence against women and girls in urban South Africa. The intervention is a refinement of an existing gender-transformative programme that includes community mobilisation and advocacy. Called the Sonke CHANGE intervention, it will extend beyond a conventional group-based workshop approach to address the multi-level nature of violence and create an enabling environment for men to embrace more equitable forms of masculinity. Given the strong associations between masculinities and men's use of partner violence, now is an opportune moment to test the Sonke CHANGE model to determine its impact on men's use of violence. The multi-level Sonke intervention will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial design. In a peri-urban setting of Diepsloot, neighbourhood "clusters" (n=18) will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention or a wait-list condition. Baseline, 12 month, and 24 month measures will assess changes in primary outcomes (men's reported use of intimate partner and non-partner violence) and secondary outcomes (severe violence, masculinity norms, harmful alcohol use, mental health). Formative qualitative research will explore the environmental context of Diepsloot, community views on violence, men's mobility, and their experiences of fathering. A longitudinal process evaluation will explore intervention delivery, unfolding of the advocacy element of Sonke CHANGE intervention, and potential mechanisms to change amongst participants.

Conditions

• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Assault and Rape
• Masculinity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Sonke CHANGE intervention	The Sonke CHANGE intervention is a multi-level model aimed at individual, group, community, and societal levels. Sonke's programming is comprised of three core components: 1. Workshops based on the premise that deeply held gender and sexuality beliefs can be critically examined and transformed in a reflective group setting. Workshops aim to challenge inequitable and harmful ideas about manhood and encourage men to take action to promote equality. 2. Community Action Teams (CATs) are comprised of interested men and women, who mobilize on a voluntary basis around issues in their neighborhoods. Methods include ambush theatre, murals painting, door to door campaigns, street soccer festivals, rallies, and community dialogues. 3. Local Advocacy is undertaken by CAT members, who aim to hold government and other duty bearers to account for VAWG prevention. CAT members join local community structures to advance community education and local government accountability.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-02-01
• Primary completion: 2018-07-01
• Completion: 2018-08-01
• First posted: 2016-07-06
• Last updated: 2017-10-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Africa