DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38880.v1
title: A National Evaluation of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training, [United States], 2019-2022
title: Version 1

description: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)'s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)
Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program provides TTA to ICAC task force
members and their affiliate agencies to support the investigation of ICAC cases.
However, little is known about the quality, implementation fidelity, outcomes,
and costs associated with ICAC TTA Program training. This study was designed to
fill this gap and focused on examining the quality, implementation fidelity,
and costs of OJJDP-funded ICAC trainings, as well as participant reactions to
training such as perceptions of quality and satisfaction, perceived changes in
knowledge and skills, and perceived training results. Using a descriptive
design, this study used multiple data collection and analysis approaches,
including those that involved extant data collected by TTA providers (i.e.,
surveys, pre-post tests, implementation data, cost data) and original data
collected by the evaluation team (i.e., observations, surveys, interviews, cost
data). Findings suggest that overall, ICAC investigative training was rated
highly by both trainees and their ICAC commanders in terms of the quality of
training delivery, expertise of instructors, knowledge gains, and applicability
to on-the-job ICAC investigations. Costs associated with ICAC training suggest
a total cost of about $10.3 million to provide ICAC training over the
three-year evaluation period, with annual average costs ranging from $2.9
million to $4.3 million over this period. Findings from this study are intended
to support OJJDP in its understanding of the ICAC TTA Program to develop and
deliver investigative TTA to ICAC task forces.
description: This study sought to develop an understanding of: the quality of OJJDP-funded ICAC trainings, fidelity of implementation for OJJDP-funded ICAC trainings, participant reactions to OJJDP-funded ICAC trainings including perceptions of trainings, changes in knowledge and skills, and perceived training results, and training costs and, if possible, the association between costs and training outcomes.
description: Data on the development and implementation of ICAC trainings were collected in interviews with a lead representative from each of the training organizations. Data on costs associated with conducting ICAC trainings were collected in interviews and surveys of a member of the organization's Finance staff. Data on the individual instructors was collected through interviews and surveys. Data on the trainees were collected using interviews and surveys. The variation in trainee knowledge was measured using surveys. For interviews and follow-up surveys, trainees were selected from a select subset of trainings. These focus courses were non-randomly selected. Data on the focus courses were collected using observation of the training events in the course. Commander interviews for commanders hosting focus courses provided data on the needs and impact of the training.
description: Dataset 1 contains variables about ICAC trainings. These variables include the training organization, the starting date of the training, the training location, the course name, number of trainees, and if trainee surveys were administered. Dataset 2 contains three training organization finance staff interviews. These interviews include questions about training development costs, and training delivery costs. Dataset 3 contains the summary of the costs associated with the ICAC trainings including costs of personnel, equipment and materials, facilities, and travel.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Implementation Log Data
DS2: Training Organization Finance Interviews
DS3: ICAC Cost Study Summary Table
description: Smallest Geographic Unit: City
description: coded on-site observation; web-based survey