1. COLLECTING DATA ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN THROUGH SURVEYS
Claudia Cappa, Senior Adviser, Data and Analytics Section, UNICEF

2. OVERVIEW 1. REVIEW OF AVAILABLE COUNTRY STUDIES
2. RECCOMENDATIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS DATA NEEDS THROUGH SURVEYS

3. REVIEW OF AVAILABLE COUNTRY STUDIES

4. Elements covered in the assessment
Commissioning and implementing agencies
Definitions and indicators
Sample designs
Research protocols
Ethical protocols
Field coordination
Quality control and data processing

5. Basic characteristics
34 studies had a specific focus on VAC (stand alone studies)
8 studies were general surveys with modules or questions on VAC
- 4 national surveys
4 part of international programs (MICS, DHS, GSHS, HBSC)
34 were meant to be representative at the national level

6. Years and frequency of implementation
Among the 42 national studies :
12 conducted in 2008 alone
13 conducted after 2008, the latest in 2017
17 studies conducted before, the earliest in
34 studies were conducted just once

7. Number of national studies by region
Coverage by region
Number of national studies by region
Note: This table does not included countries that collected data on VAC through MICS, DHS, GSBS or HBSC.

8. Commissioning and implementation
Of the 42 national studies identified, most were commissioned by government agencies (21), followed by NGOs (10), international organizations (11) and academic institutions
Most of the studies conducted before 2006 were undertaken by research institutions or NGOs. During and after 2006, 33 studies were conducted with governments’ participations
Most studies conducted by consultants

9. Some information on the study design
Most studies were household surveys, few school based
Full questionnaire available for only 15 of the studies
In 16 studies self-administered questionnaire, 13 interviews, rest unknown
Respondents: children from age 5 (mostly adolescents) and adults (as victims and as perpetrators)

10. Variations in age of target population from selected surveys on VAC
Country
Survey name
Target population
Botswana, Cambodia, Haiti, Honduras, Lao PDR, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Violence against Children Surveys
All children and young adults aged 13-24
Chile
Maltrato Infantil y Relaciones Familiares en Chile
Children attending grade 8
India
Study on Child Abuse in India
Children aged 5-18 and young adults aged 18-24
Moldova
Violence against Children in the Republic of Moldova
Children attending grades 5 to 12 (aged 10-18) and primary caregivers
Swaziland
Violence against Children Survey
Girls and young women 13-24
Philippines
National Baseline Study on Violence against Children
All children and young people aged 13-24
The Balkans
The Balkan Epidemiological Child Abuse and Neglect study
Children from the general school-going population of 11, 13 and 16-year olds UK
Child Abuse and Neglect in the UK Today
Children aged 11-17, parents/guardians of children under age 10, and young adults aged 18-24

11. Definitions and indicators
Vast majority of the surveys identified in this review used their own definitions (15)
In a few cases, definition used reflected national legal framework (3)
Frequent references to the CRC (24)
Some references to the WHO definitions of violence and abuse (5)
Rationale for selection the target population or definitions not given in most cases (17)

12. Questionnaire design Majority of surveys developed/used own tools
12 studies relied on modified versions of the CTS or ICAST
Limited information on how the tools were developed and selected
Cognitive testing= no information/not done
Field testing of the questionnaire prior to survey implementation = no information/not done
Pilot testing in 27 cases

13. Types of violence covered

14. Types of violence covered
Physical abuse
Corporal punishment
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
Neglect
Bullying
No. of Studies X 4 1 2 3

15. Questionnaire content
Content: experience of violence (35), attitudes (4), perpetuation (3)
Most surveys collected information of lifetime experience of violence, 12 surveys collected information on recent experience of violence (12 months, 6 months or last month)
Risk/protective factors: data collected in 3 cases only

16. Implementation Length of training for the field teams
unknown: 23 studies
two weeks: 4 studies
3 to 7 days: 8
1 or 3 days: 5
Content of the training largely unknown
Interviewers’ profiles: unknown for 35 studies, general interviewers for most countries, social workers in 1 countries
Teams composition and size: largely unknown (information available for 8 studies only)

17. Main findings Highly fragmented sector
Key terms defined on an ad-hoc basis that was unique to each specific study
Absence of a clear (theoretical) research framework and of rationale behind chosen study design
Most studies conducted only once
Limited attention given to ethical protocols

18. RECCOMENDATIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS DATA NEEDS THROUGH SURVEYS

19. Content of the guidelines
Considerations for planning (identifying a lead ministry and coordination structure, establishing technical working groups, preparing a budget and timeline)
Survey design (target population, definitions, sampling, mode of administration, content of questionnaire)
Survey implementation (content of the training, support during field work, field work procedures, obtaining informed consent, conducting the interview, strategies to minimize non-response and managing refusals, quality control)
Considerations for data entry and data analysis

20. Variables Prevalence of violence – life time and/or last 12 months
Characteristics of the child and his/her family
Frequency of violence
Relationship of victim to perpetrator
Severity of violence
Location of violence
Help seeking
Health outcomes
Risky behaviours
Attitudes
HIV knowledge and status

21. Target population Both sexes should be included
Lower age limits to be defined on the basis of ethical considerations, legal considerations, and cognitive ability to provide valid and reliable information
Upper limit influenced by recall bias and exposure to risk
Important to understand and made explicit excluded population due to study design

22. Comparison of methods to collect data on violence against children
Item
Interviewer-administered
Self-administered
Face-to-face interviews
Supervised
Unsupervised
Sample type
Probability
Non-probability
Cost
High
Medium
Low
Interviewers required
Yes
No (assistance personnel only) No
Interview length
Long
Short
Response rates
Willingness to disclose sensitive information
Medium (highly dependent on interviewer)

23. Comparing results from different modes of data collection in South Africa
Two separate surveys: one in schools and another in households
Main questionnaire administered by interviewer. Each respondent was also asked to complete short self-administered questionnaire
Sexual abuse, higher prevalence rates using the self-administered approach (more than twice among girls, five times among boys)
Intimate partner violence: lower prevalence rates using the self-administered approach
School survey more likely to produce higher rates than the household survey

24. Comparing results from different modes of data collection in Lao
Anonymous reporting
substantially lower reports of physical and emotional violence
substantially higher reports of sexual abuse, particularly among females

25. Sampling designs to protect confidentiality and safety of respondents
Only one child interviewed per household to minimize breach in confidentiality
Survey for males is conducted in different enumeration areas than the survey for females to protect the confidentiality of respondents and reduce the chance that opposite-sex perpetrators and victims in the same community would both be interviewed

26. Importance of testing Cognitive testing of questions
Validations of responses through triangulation
Careful review of refusals, non-responses and missing data
Testing should include ethical protocols and all procedures

27. THANK YOU