Data Challenges UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S STUDY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

The basics Purpose Indicators Methods Results

Purpose  Descriptive – what is out there?  Experimental – this one or that one?  Evaluation – what works?  Dissemination – Can it work everywhere? For what?  Advocacy  The phenomenon itself  Change  Policy - services  Participation

Indicators – of what? Definitions first  Prevalence, incidence  Attitudes, beliefs, perceptions  Behaviours – risk and protective factors  Conditions, processes …and measures… « The way to decrease violence is to work together with all our leaders in our village » Boy, 2005

Methods – how, who and when to collect?  Data sources – services, records, surveys… with whom?…  Qualitative and Quantitative  Particatory / controlled – face to face/anonymous  Snap shot/cross- sectional, time series, longitudinal… « No violence against children is justifiable; all violence against children is preventable »

Data Challenges  Definitions – terms, time frames, perceptions, actual events…  Hidden/invisible/unpopular phenomena - methodology  Data paradox – ‘no data is better than bad data’ or ‘why should we believe it?’  Research to Policy bridge … research strategy describing but never changing change happens but we dont know why  Glass half empty – risk factors vs protective factors  Advocacy vs specificity – the value of ‘estimates’  Pure research vs social action – participatory approaches, time taken in ‘child years’ to tell the story or bring change, the cost of ethical approaches…

« I think child abuse happens a lot more than we think it does. Kids get beaten at home and are afraid to tell anyone. It’s hard to stop something that happens behind closed doors » Child, North America