College: CAHSS
Principal Investigator: Cheryl Duckworth, Ph.D.
Site Information: NSU
Funding: Unfunded

This is a research study, designed to test and create new ideas that other people can use. The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the views and experiences of young people regarding the safety and security of their schools. You are invited to complete a survey, and if you like, join us for a focus group (a group interview including about 6 people), to talk about how well you think your middle/high school handles ensuring a safe and peaceful climate. The survey is online and should take about 15 minutes. The focus group should last about an hour. You can do either, or both, or just one. Participation is totally up to you!

You are being asked to be in this research study because we need more research that asks youth directly what they think of school policies. A lot of the current research talks to school leaders (teachers and administrators), but we’d like to hear from you!

This study will include about 125 people responding to the online survey, and about 6 people per focus group. We plan to have about four focus groups total.

While you are taking part in this research study, you will complete a short online survey asking you what you think about your high or middle school’s safety and security plans. The survey should take about 15 minutes and is 14 questions long. The final question in the survey invites you to a focus group (a group interview). If you would like to participate in this as well, you’ll join me and about five other young people to talk about your views on how you think your middle or high school handles keeping a safe and peaceful learning environment. If you decide to join us, there will be one focus group. Focus groups usually last about an hour. Given the current public health concerns, the focus group will be online using my university’s Zoom account. I’ll password protect this meeting so it’s as secure and private as possible.

This research study involves minimal risk to you. To the best of our knowledge, the things you will be doing have no more risk of harm than you would have in everyday life. One minimal risk might be the loss of privacy of the online survey. I’ll assign each participant a number (to hide your name) for extra privacy protection, and keep the survey link password protected. Only I will have the password.

For the Zoom focus group, I’ll use a password for that as well, to reduce any risks of loss of privacy to a minimum. Focus groups involve talking about a topic with others, so they are never totally private.

You may find some questions we ask you to be upsetting or stressful. For example, one of the questions asks if your school has ever done an “active shooter drill.” If so, we can refer you to someone who may be able to help you with these feelings.

You have the right to leave this research study at any time, or not be in it. If you do decide to leave or you decide not to be in the study anymore, you will not get any penalty or lose any services you have a right to get. If you choose to stop being in the study, any information collected about you before the date you leave the study will be kept in the research records for 36 months from the end of the study but you may request that it not be used.

If significant new information relating to the study becomes available, which may relate to whether you want to remain in this study, this information will be given to you by the investigators. You may be asked to sign a new Informed Consent Form, if the information is given to you after you have joined the study.

There are no direct benefits from being in this research study. We hope the information learned from this study will help youth leaders, teachers, school administrators and others learn from your ideas about creating a safe and peaceful school climate.

You will not be given any payments or compensation for being in this research study.

There are no costs to you for being in this research study.

Information we learn about you in this research study will be handled in a confidential manner, within the limits of the law and will be limited to people who have a need to review this information. Only the main researcher (Dr. Cheryl Duckworth) and her assistant will have access to the data. This data will be available to the researcher, the Institutional Review Board and other representatives of this institution, and any regulatory and granting agencies (if applicable). If we publish the results of the study in a scientific journal or book, we will not identify you. All confidential data will be kept securely behind lock and key in Dr. Duckworth’s home office, or behind a strong password. All data will be kept for 36 months from the end of the study and destroyed after that time by Dr. Duckworth. If the data is on paper, she’ll shred it. If it’s on the computer, she’ll delete it entirely from her computer.

If you have questions now, feel free to ask us. If you have more questions about the research, your research rights, or have a research-related injury, please contact:

Primary contact:
Dr. Cheryl Duckworth can be reached at 954 262 3018, or cheryl.duckworth@nova.edu.

Research Participants Rights
For questions/concerns regarding your research rights, please contact:

Institutional Review Board
Nova Southeastern University
(954) 262-5369 / Toll Free: 1-866-499-0790 IRB@nova.edu

You may also visit the NSU IRB website at www.nova.edu/irb/information-for-research- participants for further information regarding your rights as a research participant.

Voluntary Participation - You are not required to participate in this study. In the event you do participate, you may leave this research study at any time. If you leave this research study before it is completed, there will be no penalty to you, and you will not lose any benefits to which you are entitled.

If you agree to participate in this research study, sign this section. You will be given a signed copy of this form to keep. You do not waive any of your legal rights by signing this form.

I am voluntarily giving my consent to participate in this study because I want to take part and I believe it is my best interest.