The evidence on childhood sexual violence (CSV) shows important gaps, including lack of a cohesive evidence base, methodological and ethical issues, and limited research from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address this, there is a need for priority-driven research in LMICs, guided by a collaborative and inclusive approach to setting research priorities.

In this context, Together for Girls, We Protect Global Alliance, Brave Movement, and the SVRI are co-creating a shared set of research priorities on child sexual violence (CSV) using a collaborative and inclusive process that draws from previous research priority setting processes and knowledge from the field.

Methodology: How was the research agenda being developed?

We used an adaptation of the CHNRI (Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative) method in the co-creation of CSV research agenda, based on iterative learning and feedback from previous global and regional participatory  research setting processes related to various forms of violence against women and violence against children. The CSV priority setting process approach draws on existing evidence on CSV in LMICs to identify research questions under each of the following domains:

• Domain 1: Understanding CSV
• Domain 2: CSV interventions and response
• Domain 3: CSV preventions interventions
• Domain 4: CSV among vulnerable and marginalized populations
• Domain 5: CSV measures and methodologies

Stakeholders are invited to co-create the research agenda through a governance structure involving three groups: a stewardship group, advisory group, and a global expert group. Generated research questions are analysed and agreed upon by the stewardship and advisory groups, after which the global expert group is invited to rank the questions using a co-developed 3-item criteria:

• Fills key gap: some research ideas will be more likely to fill a key gap in knowledge that is required for translation and/or implementation than others.
• Applicability: the likelihood that the knowledge produced through the proposed research will be applied in policy and practice
• Effectiveness: some research ideas will be more likely to generate/improve truly effective interventions

To ensure the inclusion of multiple voices in the identification and prioritisation of research questions, we have also undertaken a series of key informant interviews and focus group discussions with children, CSV survivors, LGBTQI people, indigenous people, and people with disabilities.

The survey was available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic and has been completed by 265 respondents globally, who ranked at least one domain and/or provided substantive text comments. We will be sharing preliminary findings at ISPCAN Congress in Uppsala, Sweden on 21^st August 2024 and launching the priorities at the SVRI Forum in Cape Town in October 2024.

Key Findings of the Child Sexual Violence Shared Research Agenda

After 18 months of co-creation and drawing on the wisdom of the crowd, a set of research priorities has been identified for the next 5-10 years for fair, effective, and relevant research on CSV. The top priority questions that emerged from a total of 265 experts’ responses to the survey were:

Domain 1: Understanding CSV

1. What are the best strategies to help break the cycle of abuse/intergenerational trauma for CSV survivors and/or victims?
2. What are the risk and protective factors in areas where CSV is highly prevalent, and how can insights into these interrelated factors help shape the design of prevention interventions?

Domain 2: CSV Intervention and Response

1. What are effective ways to address barriers to disclosure and reporting of CSV, including decreasing the stigma of CSV and providing children and youth with safe environments for disclosure?
2. What activities and interventions are effective at increasing reporting of CSV by boys and men?

Domain 3: CSV Prevention Interventions

1. What types of interventions targeting social norms have proven effective in decreasing occurrences of CSV?
2. What are effective strategies and interventions for preventing CSV perpetration among children and teens?

Domain 4: CSV Measures and Methodologies

1. How can we best facilitate CSV survivor participation in CSV research while minimizing adverse outcomes, including emotional outcomes (secondary trauma, shame, self-blame, other forms of distress), vulnerability to others (threats, retaliation, revictimization), and other potential adverse consequences of disclosure?
2. Given that CSV is under-reported, what alternative data collection strategies and/or proxy outcomes could be used to help assess the effectiveness of CSV prevention interventions?

Domain 5: CSV among Vulnerable and Marginalised Populations

1. How do CSV prevention and response interventions need to be adapted for different groups of vulnerable and marginalised children and youth?
2. What are the barriers to reporting CSV and accessing CSV response services and how do they differ among different groups of vulnerable and marginalised children and youth?

Implications for the Child Sexual Violence Field

We recommend the uptake of the research agenda to bridge existing gaps in child sexual violence knowledge, policy and practice, and facilitate concerted effort to improve response and prevention of the issue in LMICs. We believe that the agenda can be a catalyst for driving more collaborative engagements across sectors through priority-led research and evidence-informed programming, practice and policy.

Launch Webinar

The Shared Research Agenda on Child Sexual Violence report was launched on 20 February 2025 at 3pm SAST.  This global online event featured a panel of experts to discuss the report’s findings and explore how these priorities can inform policies and programs to address CSV effectively.