Recognizing Harm, Seeking Help: Dating Violence among University Students

Last registered on October 27, 2025

View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Recognizing Harm, Seeking Help: Dating Violence among University Students

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0017104

Initial registration date

October 24, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

October 27, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Italy

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Marinella Leone

Affiliation

University of Pavia

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Andrea Guariso

PI Affiliation

University of Milan-Bicocca

PI Name

Selim Gulesci

PI Affiliation

Trinity College Dublin

PI Name

Alejandra Ramos

PI Affiliation

Trinity College Dublin

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2025-04-29

End date

2026-01-31

Keywords

Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Gender

Additional Keywords

Gender-based violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Harassment, Higher Education

JEL code(s)

J160

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a new digital resource to improve awareness and help-seeking behaviours around gender-based violence among university students in Italy. Gender-based violence, while prevalent, remains under-reported, often due to limited recognition, social norms, and a lack of knowledge about existing support services.
The project aims first of all to document: (1) the prevalence of gender-based violence among university students, with a specific focus on dating violence; (2) the help-seeking behaviours of victims and bystanders, and (3) the barriers constraining help-seeking decisions.
We then study whether information is a key constraint for help-seeking behaviours, by providing a random subset of students with information about a new digital resource providing comprehensive information and support resources on gender-based violence.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Guariso, Andrea et al. 2025. "Recognizing Harm, Seeking Help: Dating Violence among University Students." AEA RCT Registry. October 27. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17104-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The intervention is implemented through a cluster-randomised controlled trial targeting female-identifying students attending Italian universities who consent to participate in the study.
Students assigned to the treatment receive an encouragement email containing information about a digital resource funded by the Vodafone Foundation and developed in collaboration with their partners. This resource offers comprehensive information and support resources on gender-based violence. The control group, by contrast, only receives general information about traditional support services, such as national helplines, but no mention of the digital resource.

Intervention (Hidden)

Intervention Start Date

2025-04-29

Intervention End Date

2026-01-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Help-seeking behaviours

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

- Students’ ability to recognize GBV.
- Students’ knowledge of GBV and different forms of GBV.
- Prevalence of conflict in dating relationships.
- Prevalence of intimate partner violence;
- Prevalence of offensive experiences, outside dating relationships.

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

The intervention is implemented through a cluster-randomised controlled trial targeting female-identifying students attending Italian universities who consent to participate in the study.
Female students who consent to participate are assigned to a cluster defined by their study program and cohort year. The clusters are then stratified by degree type and department, and within each strata, each cluster is randomly assigned to treatment or control. Students assigned to the treatment group receive an encouragement email containing information about a digital resource funded by the Vodafone Foundation and developed in collaboration with their partners. This resource offers comprehensive information and support resources on gender-based violence. The control group, by contrast, only receives general information about traditional support services, such as national helplines, but no mention of the digital resource.
All participants will complete a baseline survey prior to the intervention and an endline survey approximately eight months later.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

The randomization is done using a computer and the program STATA.

Randomization Unit

Clusters consisting of students enrolled in the same academic program who started together in a specific year (study program-cohort)

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

We aim for approximately 100 clusters. The final number of clusters will depend on the number of combinations of year and course of the students who responded to the survey.

Sample size: planned number of observations

We aim for approximately 1,000 students that self-identify as women. The final number of observations will depend on the number students who responded to our surveys.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Treatment: 50 clusters, 500 students.
Control: 50 clusters, 500 students.
Note: Students who do not self-identify as women do not receive the treatment

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB