Undertaking school-based research on younger children’s understandings of abuse and neglect

Christine Barter, Nicky Stanley, Farwa Batool, John Devaney, Nicola Farrelly, David Hayes, Zain Kurdi, Annemarie Millar, Claire Monks, Lorraine Radford, Helen Richardson-Foster, Rhiannon Tudor-Edwards, Eira Winrow

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES

Research that explores changes in children’s understandings of child abuse, domestic violence and neglect and identifies changes in behaviour needs to obtain information directly from children to understand how such change occurs. Researching sensitive topics with young children requires careful consideration about their comprehension and engagement and attention needs to be given to ethics and the potential for disclosures to occur. This paper draws on the experience of the pilot stage of an evaluation of Speak Out. Stay Safe (SOSS) a UK school-based programme on child abuse, including domestic abuse, and neglect for children aged 5 to 11 years developed by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

METHOD

A lack of appropriate measures to use with children under 11 when exploring changes in knowledge and help-seeking about all forms of abuse and neglect was identified.
The research team therefore designed a tablet-based survey which combined validated and bespoke measures and was designed to be accessible and engaging for this age group. Subsequent to the pilot, the timing, wording and length of the survey were adjusted and further amendments were made to ensure that the survey was accessible for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Tablet based surveys containing standardised and bespoke outcome measures to assess understandings of abuse and help seeking were used with one class of children aged 6 to 7 and one class of children aged 9 to 10 in six primary schools across all four UK countries. Eight focus groups with children explored the acceptability of the focus group process and content of the survey. Interviews with teachers captured their views of children’s participation in the pilot.

RESULTS

Focus groups with children indicated the acceptability of the methods. Over 80% of the 3,297 children participating in the study between 2019 and 2020 reported that they had enjoyed answering all or some of the survey questions. However, some questions addressing more sensitive issues caused discomfort for some children. Other children emphasised that it was important to ask these types of questions. Appropriate responses to child protection concerns and disclosures encountered during the research were implemented.

Children’s informed assent, and parental informed consent, as part of a participatory rights agenda is dependent on clear, informative and accessible verbal and written materials and opportunities to withdraw should be provided throughout.

CONCLUSIONS

Children generally enjoyed completing the outcome measures which were delivered in the form of tablet-based activity books and they found the format engaging. Appropriate safeguarding procedures are essential when conducting sensitive research with children.

TAKEAWAY POINTS FOR THE AUDIENCE

Young children can meaningfully participate in school-based research which seeks to explore sensitive issues, although considerable care is required in the implementation to ensure it is child centred.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 07 Jun 2021
Event16th ISPCAN European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect - virtually in Milan, Milan, Italy
Duration: 07 Jun 202111 Jun 2021

Conference

Conference16th ISPCAN European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityMilan
Period07/06/202111/06/2021

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