Meaningful, systemic change begins with knowledge— and by identifying research gaps and setting clear, strategic priorities, we can pave the way for a future where every child is safe from sexual violence.” – Joan Njagi, Child Sexual Violence Researcher, SVRI.
Establishing a priority-setting process for Child Sexual Violence
Sexual violence against children is a widespread global issue that requires urgent, coordinated action. However, the research landscape on child sexual violence (CSV) continues to have significant gaps, including a lack of a cohesive evidence base, methodological limitations, ethical challenges, and limited research from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address these gaps, there is a need for research in LMICs that is driven by shared priorities and shaped by a collaborative, inclusive approach.
To this end, the SVRI partnered with Together for Girls, WeProtect Global Alliance, Safe Futures Hub, and the Brave Movement to co-developed a research agenda on child sexual violence through a research priority-setting exercise. After 18 months of co-creation and leveraging collective insights, a set of research priorities were identified to guide relevant CSV research for the next 5-10 years in low- and middle-income countries. In this blog post, we summarise the main findings of the priority setting exercise, as well as the reflections and learnings from the experts who attended the global launch of the CSV shared research agenda on 20 February 2025.
The long-lasting impact of CSV on individuals, families, and communities underscores the need for more cohesive and effective, evidence-based interventions. Meaningful, systemic change begins with knowledge—and by identifying research gaps and setting clear, strategic priorities, we can pave the way for a future where every child is safe from sexual violence.
Main findings of the Shared Research Agenda on Child Sexual Violence
Below are the top CSV research priorities by each domain identified by the field. The full set of priorities are available in the report published in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish and can be found here.
| Domain 1: Understanding CSV | What are the best strategies to help break the cycle of abuse/intergenerational trauma for CSV survivors and/or victims? |
| Domain 2: CSV Intervention and Response | 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 |
| Domain 3: CSV Prevention Interventions | What types of interventions targeting social norms have proven effective in decreasing occurrences of CSV? |
| Domain 4: CSV Measures and Methodologies
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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? |
| Domain 5: CSV among Vulnerable and Marginalised Populations | How do CSV prevention and response interventions need to be adapted for different groups of vulnerable and marginalised children and youth? |
This critical research agenda was unveiled at a global online event held on February 20, 2025, in which a panel of experts discussed the potential of this research agenda to inform funding, research, programs, and policies aimed at addressing CSV more effectively.
Reflections from the panelists: How to use the CSV Shared Research Agenda by different stakeholders
“From a funders’ perspective, a research agenda is a gift because we funders aim to be responsive and make sure that our funding is supporting the field’s priorities.” – Dr. Helena Duch, Head of the Solutions sub-programme at Oak Foundation’s Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme
During the panel discussion, Dr. Duch, Head of the Solutions sub-programme at Oak Foundation’s Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme, highlighted the value of the agenda as a roadmap aligning funding with research priorities that are shaped by diverse voices, thereby helping funders have access to multiple perspectives. Duch further emphasized the agenda’s role in fostering collaboration among funders to invest in questions reflected in the agenda and foster innovation to explore under-researched areas highlighted in the agenda.
Speaking from a researcher’s perspective, Dr. Manjeer Mukherjee, Senior Director of Strategic Operations at Arpan, praised the agenda for uniting practitioners, activists, individuals with lived experiences, and researchers. This approach, she noted, allows research to address real-world challenges and foster collaboration. Dr. Mukherjee further highlighted the potential of an agenda that focuses on LMICs, where only 12% of CSV research originates, to redress imbalances in knowledge production.
Dr. Martin Di Marco, Assistant Professor with the Violence and Violence Prevention Research Group at Leiden University, highlighted the agenda’s potential to combat fragmentation in scientific research and encourage collective thinking. He noted that it outlines the agreements necessary for better communication, collaboration, and connection among stakeholders. Dr. Di Marco called for deeper reflection on the strategies needed to carry out the research outlined in the agenda.
Representing practitioners, Dr. Urvashi Gandhi, CEO of Samya Development Resource Private Limited and Asia Hub Coordinator for the Coalition for Good Schools, emphasized the significance of an agenda that includes voices from the Global South and adopts an intersectional approach. Dr. Gandhi stressed the importance of addressing social norms in research, noting that these questions could spark innovations to break the silence surrounding child sexual violence.
Additionally, Ms. Tvisha Nevatia emphasized the importance of practitioners being involved in the process, sharing on-the-ground realities to shape research questions and solutions. She noted that the agenda serves as a bridge between research and practice, reflecting both evidence and practice gaps, enabling practitioners to leverage practice-based knowledge to address these gaps.
As practitioners, we can review the priorities through the lens of our work. We can critically think about where our work fits into this agenda and as we engage with the priorities, we can ask ourselves questions – does this resonate as an evidence gap, or do we already have insights from practice that have not been well documented? – Ms. Tvisha Nevatia,
Next steps for the CSV Shared Research Agenda
We hope that this shared research agenda on child sexual violence will catalyse action and inspire new research that informs increased funding and better research, policies, and practices to end CSV. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child can grow up free from violence and reach their full potential. Through our joint efforts, we can help create a safer, more just world for children everywhere.
Look out for the next articles in this series, which will provide a more detailed discussion of how the agenda was developed and the lessons learned during the process, including those related to promoting equity and inclusion in research priority setting.
This blog post was written by Joan Njagi, Child Sexual Violence Researcher at the SVRI and Public Voices Fellow on Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse with The OpEd Project. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Joan at joan@svri.org.
