Conducting Violence Research Across Multiple Family Generations and with Young Children: Findings from a Mixed-Methods Pilot Study in South Africa

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a pilot study focused on examining intergenerational violence in a three-generation sample, which included young children, in a rural area of South Africa. The aims of the pilot study were to investigate the feasibility of participant recruitment, consent, and interviewing; length and burden of the study questionnaires; appropriateness and acceptability of the measures used; and young children’s (age 4–7) ability to comprehend the measures and participate meaningfully in interviews asking about violence. Data were collected for 4 months with three groups of participants, often within families (young adults, their children, and the young adults’ former caregivers), using cognitive interviews, quantitative questionnaires, and qualitative in-depth interviews. All groups participated in arts-based methods and child interviews included visual and tactile aids. Pilot study findings demonstrated feasible recruitment within families for a three-generation study using comprehensive consent protocols and mandatory reporting information. Adults and young children were able to participate in the extensive interviews (2–3 h and 1 h, respectively) without significant burden. The employed measures were appropriate and acceptable to the setting, though minor revisions were made to improve comprehension of certain items. Young children were able to engage and participate meaningfully in the research, though they were not able to answer abstract reasoning items in cognitive interviews and children who were less developmentally advanced required more play- and arts-based accommodations to support their participation. Future research around sensitive topics, such as violence, appears feasible within families and including young children as participants even in resource-poor settings.

‘Through the drawings…they are able to tell you straight’: Using arts-based methods in violence research in South Africa

“…We found that children as young as 4 years old could participate in our pilot study [ 34 ]. With very young children, researchers have highlighted that verifying the information they provide may be difficult, and that data elicited may not be a genuine reflection of the way they understand the world [ 77 ].…”

“…A pilot study was undertaken in rural Mpumalanga in South Africa (July–October 2021) [ 34 ]. The study comprised a convenience cross sectional sample drawn from residents in the area of young adults aged 22–30 years, children aged 4–7 years, and former caregivers of the young adults.…”

“Children Are Like Vuvuzelas Always Ready to Blow”: Exploring How to Engage Young Children in Violence Research

“…In preparation for a longitudinal multigenerational cohort study on mechanisms that underlie the intergenerational transmission of violence ( Meinck et al, 2023 ), a pilot study was conducted in rural Mpumalanga in South Africa from July to October 2021. The study consisted of a convenience sample drawn from residents in the area where the main study was to be undertaken; the pilot study recruited young adults aged 22 to 30 years, children of young adults aged 4 to 7 years, and caregivers of the young adults ( Franchino-Olsen et al, 2023 ). Ethical approval was granted by the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science Research Ethics Committee (264227), the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (M190949), and the North-West University Health Research Ethics Committee (NWU-00329-20-A1).…”

“…In preparation for a longitudinal multigenerational cohort study on mechanisms that underlie the intergenerational transmission of violence (Meinck et al, 2023), a pilot study was conducted in rural Mpumalanga in South Africa from July to October 2021. The study consisted of a convenience sample drawn from residents in the area where the main study was to be undertaken; the pilot study recruited young adults aged 22 to 30 years, children of young adults aged 4 to 7 years, and caregivers of the young adults (Franchino-Olsen et al, 2023)…”

“…From our pilot study, we were able to ascertain that young children could be engaged in violence research ( Franchino-Olsen et al, 2023 ; Meinck et al, 2023 ). The current paper aimed to investigate how young children could meaningfully engage in violence research (i.e., could they answer questions of personal violence experience, were the questions appropriate, did they understand them, and was it upsetting to talk about), what methodologies might be well suited to our objectives, and what was needed on the part of fieldworkers, with scant experience which is typical in our context, to ensure participants could participate effectively.…”