Structured AbstractPurpose: This paper reports on the findings from a study commissioned by the British Transport Police and the Department for Transport for England and Wales concerning sexual offences and harassment on public transport worldwide. Specifically, it aims to explore the prevalence of such behaviours, through a review of existing survey and interview data regarding women and girls' experiences.Design/methodology/approach: A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence.2 Findings: It was found that prevalence rates range from 15 percent to 95 percent, with the UK having the lowest rates. Emerging economies had higher rates of harassment and assault, which may relate to differing cultural and gender norms, where public space is regarded as a male domain. Research limitations/implications:A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand.Practical Implications:1. More research of high methodological rigour needs to be carried out on prevalence rates of sexual harassment and offending on public transport worldwide.2. The high prevalence rates found suggest the need for more work around the area of interventions to curtail offending in this setting.3. The findings suggest that emerging economies, in particular, need to do more to address the problem of sexual harassment and assault on public transport.4. More fundamentally, cultural norms around women's role in society need to be addressed and challenged.3
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore what is known about the prevalence, nature, and impact of IFCSA and where the gaps in knowledge lie.Design/methodology/approach -A rapid evidence assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed.Findings -It was found that: there is wide variation in prevalence rates between studies; girls are more likely to be victims than boys; the onset of abuse is typically school age; abuse in minority groups is underreported; sibling abuse may be more common than that by fathers; female perpetrated abuse may be under-reported; families where abuse occurs are often dysfunctional; and IFCSA has significant adverse effects on victims.Research limitations/implications -A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand.Practical implications -This work found numerous gaps in current knowledge about IFCSA, which the authors recommend be addressed by further research, including: the scale and nature of IFCSA in disabled victims, research on BME children's experiences; the prevalence of abuse by stepfathers as compared to biological fathers; the experiences of male victims; the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered child victims; the short-term impact of IFCSA based on child victims' experiences; and more widely, further research on the prevalence of abuse in clinical populations and the relationship between that and prevalence in wider society. In addition to such questions, the OCC inquiry will also investigate issues surrounding child protection and criminal justice responses to (IF)CSA and how these might be improved. The evidence base for this section of the inquiry is reported in Gekoski et al. (2016).Originality/value -The findings of this research provide the evidence base for a new twoyear inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC.
AcknowledgementsThe authors are grateful to the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, who funded the Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) on which this paper is based. The authors would also like to thank colleagues Julie Grove-Hills and Clare Choak for their hard work on the REA, and Antonia Bilfulco and Julie Grove-Hills for their work on previous research on police practice with victims of child sexual abuse, which this work draws on. 2 AbstractPurpose: This paper reports on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore the evidence about child protection and criminal justice responses to victims of IFCSA in the UK and where the gaps in these approaches lie.Design: A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed. Findings:It was found that children may be re-victimised by various aspects of 'the system' and professionals within it, including social workers, police officers, and lawyers.Limitations: An REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand. Value:The findings of this research provide the evidence-base for a new two-year inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC. Implications for practice:Victims of IFCSA may benefit from the following changes:• the prioritising of children's needs over bureaucratic demands;• better multi-agency working;• the consistent use of ABE interviews in child-friendly environments;• the increased use of special measures in court; and• the piloting of specialist sexual offence courts.3
There have been few empirical studies that assess the impact of participation in trauma-focused research. To contribute to growing knowledge in this area, this study assessed the effects of research participation among 14 women who had been bereaved by homicide. An adapted version of the Response to Research Participation Questionnaire (RRPQ) was implemented as part of a wider study exploring secondary victimization by criminal justice systems; at the end of a qualitative interview, participants were asked three questions designed to assess benefits, harms and regrets associated with participation. All participants gained something positive from participation; half experienced upset; but none regretted participation. Suggestions are made for how researchers can minimize harm and maximize benefit to vulnerable research participants.
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