USNA Consent Form

Study Title: Innovations in Sexual Assault Prevention Pilot Program

Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Mumford

Participant Informed Consent Form

The following information is provided to inform you about the NORC SAPR Survey and your participation in it.

Please read this form carefully.

1. Purpose of the study:

You are being asked to participate in the NORC SAPR Survey because you are a midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate SAPR (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response) activities at USNA.

2. Procedures and approximate time requirements:

You will be asked to complete two online surveys, a baseline survey now, and a follow-up survey next year. Each survey will take about 15 minutes. The survey includes some questions about you and how you think about sexual harassment and assault.

Your participation in this research is voluntary. There is no penalty to you if you choose not to respond. You can skip any question and you can stop the survey at any time. Because it is an anonymous survey, it needs to be completed in one session. You will need to begin again (using the anonymous link from [email protected]) if you exit unexpectedly.

You can complete the survey using a personal device (e.g., laptop, tablet, or mobile phone) in a private location of your choice. We recommend using a device with a larger screen for better viewing.

3. Anonymity:

This study is anonymous. No one in your chain of command will ever see your responses. Demographic responses will be recoded to prevent anyone from figuring out your identity based on unique characteristics.

4. Compensation for participation:

[Present for USNA Class of 2025] There is no financial compensation for participating in this survey today. However, if you choose to participate in the study today and then complete the follow-up survey next year, NORC will email you a $15 gift code redeemable at the Midshipmen Store, Gift Shop, Uniform Store, 1845 Coffee, or Navyonline.com at that time.

[Present for USNA Class of 2023] If you choose to take this survey today, NORC will email you a $10 gift code redeemable at the Midshipmen Store, Gift Shop, Uniform Store, 1845 Coffee, or Navyonline.com. If you do not receive your code by 7 business days after we close the survey period, please email the project director Elizabeth Mumford at [email protected]. If you also complete the follow-up survey next year, NORC will email you an additional $15 gift code.

5. Benefits and risks:

There are no direct benefits to you. However, benefits to future midshipmen may include better prevention programming and less sexual harassment and sexual assault at USNA. Your voice is important to us, therefore, we will all benefit by allowing your voice to be heard.

Completing this survey is not expected to involve any risk or discomfort to you. But a respondent who has experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault may feel discomfort and/or other emotions. Helpful resources are provided below.

6. Resources:

If you are a victim of sexual assault, or a person who wishes to prevent or respond to a crime, you may want to contact a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate (VA). To reach the DoD Safe Helpline 24/7 for restricted/unrestricted reporting and established DoD Sexual Assault Services, call the hotline number:

Toll-Free: 877-995-5247

Worldwide: https://www.safehelpline.org/

If you are a victim of sexual harassment, or a person who wishes to prevent or respond to it, you may want to contact a USNA or Navy resource, below.

USNA SAPR Response Line (24/7):	443-336-2637
MDC (Midshipmen Development Center):	410-293-4897
Navy Sexual Harassment Hotline:	800-253-0931

7. Data security:

Data will be secured on dedicated servers, and access to sensitive data will be restricted to authorized users. All NORC systems reside within secure facilities with controlled physical access with restricted hours of access. Systems are in a data center with boundary protection utilizing network firewalls, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and security monitoring using a unified situational platform. The IT environment is documented and managed utilizing NIST 800-53 Revision 3 security framework and is audited by third party auditors on a regular basis. The aggregated results of this anonymous survey may be shared with USNA leadership, and USNA, DoN, and DoD SAPR staff without any personally identifiable information.

8. Contact information:

This research is being conducted by Elizabeth Mumford, Ph.D., NORC at the University of Chicago. She may be reached at (NORC 800- forthcoming) for questions or to report a research-related problem. You may contact the NORC IRB Office at 866-309-0542 or USNA HRPP Office at 410-293-2533 or [email protected] if you have questions or comments regarding your rights as a participant in the research. This research has been reviewed according to the USNA’s procedures governing your participation in this research.

STATEMENT BY PERSON AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS ANONYMOUS STUDY

I have read this informed consent document. I understand each part of the document and I freely and voluntarily choose to participate in this anonymous study. I can choose to withdraw from the NORC SAPR Survey at any time without penalty.

Click NEXT if you agree to participate in this anonymous study.

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