Information Sheet

Social Marketing Focus Groups

Information Sheet

Sponsor: OMB Control Number: OMB Expiration Date:	Office of People Analytics (OPA) Department of Defense (DoD) 0704-0644 XX/XX/XXXX
Principal Investigator:	Dr. Jess Marcon Zabecki Chief Military Research Psychologist Office of People Analytics
	Jessica.m.zabecki.mil@mail.mil.
Action Officer:	Dr. Austin Lawhead Senior Applied Anthropologist austin.r.lawhead.civ@mail.mil

What do I need to know about this study?

The purpose of this effort is to support the development of a social marketing campaign focused on reducing the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment by promoting healthy behaviors and bystander intervention among Military men. Specifically, we will gather feedback and initial reactions to potential campaign draft messages to help inform campaign approach and development.

Participants will take part in a 90-minute focus group. Your name and contact information will only be used for scheduling purposes. This focus group is being conducted by Fors Marsh on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of People Analytics (OPA) and the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO). Fors Marsh is a third-party vendor and independent research company. Your responses to the questions will allow OPA to better understand the experience of Service members. Ultimately, focus group results will be used to recommend communication strategies, revise draft message frames, and plan for future testing of concepts. All themes and topics of discussion will be reported in the aggregate and no individual opinions will be reported back to OPA or SAPRO. All information collected during focus groups will be kept confidential by Fors Marsh and OPA.

Your participation in this focus group is voluntary. If you wish to withdraw from the focus group at any point, you are free to do so. There is no penalty to you if you choose not to participate. There will be discussion of topics that are sensitive in nature and may be upsetting to you. You do not have to answer any question you do not want to and are free to end your participation at any time. You may have experienced a sexual assault, know someone who has, or experienced such an event as a bystander; this focus group is not about these experiences. We ask that you not reveal details of specific sexual assault incidents. For example, during the discussion, it may feel like the conversation is an opportunity to share information about an incident; however, we wish for victims to maintain control of their reporting options and request that these conversations remain hypothetical or anonymous.

Throughout the group, please do NOT provide names of individuals, units, or locations. Remember OPSEC guidance and do not discuss or comment on classified or operationally sensitive information. We cannot provide confidentiality to a participant regarding comments involving criminal activity/behavior, or statements that pose a threat to yourself or others. If you indicate a direct threat to harm yourself or others within responses during the focus group or communications about the focus group, because of concern for your welfare, OPA may notify an office in your area for appropriate action. 

Who will see the results of this project or my information?

Everything you say during the focus group will be heard by the study staff. We will be very careful to only allow people working on the project to see your information. Despite our best efforts, there is a small risk that others might find out what you say. In the case of a breach of confidentiality, appropriate steps will be taken to notify participants.

The focus group will be recorded. By agreeing to participate, you consent to being audio recorded [in person groups] or audio and video recorded [for virtual groups] during the focus group. At the beginning of the focus group, you will be asked again to verbally confirm that you agree to being recorded.

All the information we collect, including anything you say in the focus group, activities completed during the focus group, or information collected from audio or video files, will be stored on a password-protected computer that only the project team can access. We will collect some information from you like your rank, but we will not collect any information that could identify you personally. After three years, all the collected information will be destroyed by securely shredding documents or permanently deleting electronic information.

Additional Information

Your responses could be used in future studies. Response data may be shared with DoD analysts or organizations outside the DoD who are studying DoD personnel. In many cases, these analysts will be provided with participants’ responses containing limited demographic information (for example, Service/component and gender). OPA performs a disclosure avoidance analysis to reduce the risk of there being a combination of demographic variables which can single out an individual. Analysts approved for access to these datasets must adhere to strict procedures, including - but not limited to - data sharing agreements, secure transfers of data, destruction of files upon completion of study activities, and authorization to reuse data. In addition, receipt and use of these data sets must adhere to all DoD information assurance, security, and other data use policies. Some findings may be published by OPA or in professional journals or presented at scientific conferences.  

A participant who experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault may experience discomfort and/or other emotions while participating in the focus group. Contact information is provided below for those who experience such discomfort. 

If you are a victim of sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact, or a person who wishes to prevent or respond to this crime, you may want to contact a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate (VA). The DoD Safe Helpline 24/7 provides information about local SARCs and VAs in your area. To reach the DoD Safe Helpline 24/7 for restricted/unrestricted reporting and established DoD Sexual Assault Services, call a hotline number or visit this resource on the web: 

 

Toll-Free: 1-877-995-5247 

DSN: 94-877-995-5247 

Worldwide: https://www.safehelpline.org/ or www.sapr.mil/ 

Whom to Contact about This Study

During the study, if you have questions, concerns, or complaints about the study, please contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Jess Marcon Zabecki, at Jessica.m.zabecki.mil@mail.mil.

Privacy Act Statement

AUTHORITY: 10 U.S.C. Sections 136 and 2358 authorize the collection of this information. PURPOSE: To obtain feedback on DoD draft campaign concepts that aim to reduce prevalence of sexual assault and harassment in the military. ROUTINE USES: Feedback will be used to inform DoD campaign approach and development. DISCLOSURE: Any information you provide is voluntary. Individual responses will not be shared with others unless required by law. The results are reported only in a manner that does not identify an individual.