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The Being Heard project worked to promote ethical and meaningful participation of children in events and research on sexual violence, identifying gaps in both process and research, and engaging with young researchers on how to enable participatory work.

Children and youth participation in events and research on sensitive topics can be a challenging issue. The active involvement of young people beyond their role as subjects of research has been a notable gap in both research presented at SVRI Forums, and among Forum delegates. These gaps reflected a need for capacity-building work with researchers, programme developers, event organisers and policy makers on the importance of involving young people in research; methods for asking young people about violence; and the ethics of involving children and young people in research and events on child abuse and neglect.

To address this gap, the SVRI in partnership with Bedfordshire University’s International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking and Violence (now the Safer Young Lives Research Centre), brought a group of young researchers to the SVRI Forum 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil through a system of bursaries to participate at the Forum and share their experiences as well as review literature on participatory research with children and young people on sexual violence.

The project was guided by a project advisory committee and supported by the Oak Foundation and other partners.

Videos

Bovarnick, S., Peace, D., Warrington, C., & Pearce, J. (2018). Being Heard: Promoting children and young people’s involvement in participatory research on sexual violence – findings from an international scoping review. University of Bedfordshire. http://www.svri.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2018-10-17/UoB_BeingHeard_LitReview.pdf
SVRI. (2018). Being Heard: Engaging Young People at SVRI Forum Toolkit. SVRI, SAMRC. http://www.svri.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2018-10-17/SVRI_Forum_Toolkit_DIGITAL_LOWRES.pdf
Mpofu, L. (2017, October 18). A passion stirred. SVRI Blog. https://www.svri.org/a-passion-stirred/
Mpofu, L. (2017, August 10). A DREAM COME TRUE…. SVRI Blog. https://www.svri.org/a-dream-come-true/
Mpofu, L. (2017, July 31). BEING HEARD…MORE THAN JUST BEING LISTENED TO. SVRI Blog. https://www.svri.org/being-heardmore-than-just-being-listened-to/
SVRI. (2017, July). Elimu Mwangaza Tanzania has been selected to participate in SVRI Forum 2017. https://www.svri.org/elimu-mwangaza-tanzania-has-been-selected-to-participate-in-svri-forum-2017/
SVRI. (2017, June). UYDEL was selected to attend the SVRI young researchers program in Brazil. https://www.svri.org/uydel-was-selected-to-attend-the-svri-young-researchers-program-in-brazil/
SVRI. (2017, May). CEDECA is among the five NGOs participating in the World Forum. https://www.svri.org/cedeca-is-among-the-five-ngos-participating-in-the-world-forum/
Young Researcher’s Participation in SVRI Forum 2017 | Sexual Violence Research Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2023, from https://www.svri.org/young-researchers-participation-in-svri-forum-2017/
Being Heard: Involving children and young people in participatory research on sexual violence - challenges and approaches. (n.d.). SVRI. Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://www.svri.org/webinars/being-heard-webinar-involving-children-and-young-people-in-participatory-research-on-sexual-violence-challenges-and-approaches/
Being Heard: Engaging young people in sexual violence research and events. (n.d.). SVRI. Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://www.svri.org/webinars/being-heard-engaging-young-people-in-sexual-violence-research-and-events/
Child Rights Connect. (2023, September 4). Child Rights Connect. https://childrightsconnect.org/
Girls Not Brides. (2023, August 14). Girls Not Brides. https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/
CRIN - Child Rights International Network. (2023, July 25). CRIN. https://home.crin.org
Bennouna, C., Mansourian, H., & Stark, L. (2017). Ethical considerations for children’s participation in data collection activities during humanitarian emergencies: A Delphi review. Conflict and Health, 11(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-017-0108-y
Foreign Affairs Council. (2017). Revision of the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child (2017) Leave No Child Behind. http://www.svri.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2017-03-13/Leave%20No%20Child%20Behind%20-%20Revision%20of%20EU%20Guidelines%20for%20Child%20Rights%20%281%29.pdf
Åkerlund, N., & Gottzén, L. (2017). Children’s voices in research with children exposed to intimate partner violence: a critical review. Nordic Social Work Research, 7(1), 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/2156857X.2016.1156019
Sanders, J., & Munford, R. (2017). Hidden in Plain View: Finding and Enhancing the Participation of Marginalized Young People in Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 160940691770476. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917704765
Woodgate, R. L., Tennent, P., & Zurba, M. (2017). Navigating Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Research With Children and Youth Through Sustaining Mindful Presence. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 160940691769674. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917696743
Liebenberg, L., Sylliboy, A., Davis-Ward, D., & Vincent, A. (2017). Meaningful Engagement of Indigenous Youth in PAR: The Role of Community Partnerships. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 160940691770409. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917704095
Liebenberg, L. (2017). Editor’s Introduction: Special Issue: Understanding Meaningful Engagement of Youth in Research and Dissemination of Findings. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 160940691772153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917721531
Edwards, K. M., Neal, A. M., Dardis, C. M., Kelley, E. L., Gidycz, C. A., & Ellis, G. (2017). College Students’ Reactions to Participating in Relational Trauma Research: A Mixed Methodological Study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(21), 3346–3369. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515599158
Rizo, C. F., Macy, R. J., Ermentrout, D. M., O’Brien, J., Pollock, M. D., & Dababnah, S. (2017). Research With Children Exposed to Partner Violence: Perspectives of Service-Mandated, CPS- and Court-Involved Survivors on Research With Their Children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(19), 2998–3026. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515596534
Pernebo, K., & Almqvist, K. (2016). Young children’s experiences of participating in group treatment for children exposed to intimate partner violence: A qualitative study. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21(1), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104514558432
Hart, R., Ataman, A., & Kimiagar, B. (2016). Thematic report: Placing children’s voices at the heart of organisations that serve them – Lessons from governance with children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. ECPAT International, Children’s Environment Research Group. http://www.svri.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2017-02-02/PLACING%20THE%20PERSPECTIVES%20OF%20CHILDREN%20at%20the%20HEART_Thematic%20Report.pdf
Devries, K. M., Child, J. C., Elbourne, D., Naker, D., & Heise, L. (2015). “I never expected that it would happen, coming to ask me such questions”:Ethical aspects of asking children about violence in resource poor settings. Trials, 16, 516. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-1004-7
Schelbe, L., Chanmugam, A., Moses, T., Saltzburg, S., Williams, L. R., & Letendre, J. (2015). Youth participation in qualitative research: Challenges and possibilities. Qualitative Social Work, 14(4), 504–521. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325014556792
Søftestad, S., Toverud, R., & Jensen, T. K. (2013). Interactive Regulated Participation: Children’s perspectives on child–parent interaction when suspicion of child sexual abuse is raised. Qualitative Social Work, 12(5), 603–619. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325012454913
Edwards, K. M., Kearns, M. C., Calhoun, K. S., & Gidycz, C. A. (2009). College Women’s Reactions to Sexual Assault Research Participation: Is it Distressing? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33(2), 225–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2009.01492.x
Research Methods and Ethical Considerations. (n.d.). SVRI. Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://www.svri.org/global-library/global-library-research-methods-and-ethical-considerations/
IICRD. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2023, from http://www.iicrd.org/
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