Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) remains a hidden crisis, often going unreported due to stigma and illegality. In Brazil, a new large-scale school-based intervention, Crescer Sem Violência (Growing Up Without Violence, or GWV), aims to confront this issue directly. Canal Futura and its partners developed the programme to teach young people how to recognise inappropriate sexual behaviour, stay safe online, and report abuse. To evaluate its impact, researchers from University College London and the Catholic University of Pernambuco are running a rigorous cluster randomised controlled trial across 60 schools in Pernambuco. This academic paper “Growing up without violence (GWV): Study protocol for a cluster randomised trial and process evaluation of a school-based intervention preventing adolescent sexual exploitation in Brazil“ sets out the research protocol guiding the study.
As the first major randomised trial of a CSEC intervention in Brazil, this study could mark a turning point. Despite growing awareness of the issue, evidence remains scarce on what actually prevents CSEC in low- and middle-income countries – especially among adolescents, who often fall through the cracks of child protection systems. By testing GWV’s effectiveness and unpacking how it works, the research promises to inform more targeted, evidence-driven strategies to keep young people safe.
