The ethics of child maltreatment surveys in relation to participant distress: Implications of social science evidence, ethical guidelines, and law

Mathews, Benjamin P.; MacMillan, Harriet L.; Meinck, Franziska; Finkelhor, David; Haslam, Divna; González, Andrea; Afifi, Tracie O.; Scott, James G.; Pacella, Rosana; Higgins, Daryl; Thomas, Hannah J.; Collin‐Vézina, Delphine; Walsh, Kerryann

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105424

Cited by 26 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“… 13 Customising interviewer characteristics to a local setting is also important to support respondent comfort. 3 In our review, few surveys (13% each for youth and adult) employed individuals with relevant knowledge or specific characteristics to conduct interviews. For example, respondents may feel more comfortable speaking with same-sex interviewers about sexual assault.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 9 Concerns may be heightened for surveys of youth, in terms of potentially causing distress or needing to respond to disclosure of maltreatment. 3 10 11 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…International calls for child maltreatment (CM) data are prompted by increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the interpersonal, human rights, public health and economic consequences of CM. [1][2][3] Population-based surveys are a valuable methodological approach used to determine estimates of CM and its associated risks and allow for international comparisons. Both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), among other international policy statements, underline the importance of data to understand the scale of CM, to identify associated risk and protective factors and to specify priority areas for effective interventions and services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Asking youth and adults about child maltreatment: a review of government surveys

et al. 2022

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ObjectivesIn this review we: (1) identify and describe nationally representative surveys with child maltreatment (CM) questions conducted by governments in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries and (2) describe procedures implemented to address respondents’ safety and minimise potential distress.DesignWe conducted a systematic search across eight databases from 1 January 2000 to 5 July 2021 to identify original studies with information about relevant surveys. Additional information about surveys was obtained through survey methods studies, survey reports, survey websites or by identifying full questionnaires (when available).ResultsForty-six studies representing 139 surveys (98 youth and 41 adult) conducted by governments from 105 countries were identified. Surveys implemented a variety of procedures to maximise the safety and/or reduce distress for respondents including providing the option to withdraw from the survey and/or securing confidentiality and privacy for the respondent. In many surveys, further steps were taken such as providing information for support services, providing sensitivity training to survey administrators when interviews were conducted, among others. A minority of surveys took additional steps to empirically assess potential distress experienced by respondents.ConclusionsAssessing risk and protective factors and developing effective interventions and policies are essential to reduce the burden of violence against children. While asking about experiences of CM requires careful consideration, procedures to maximise the safety and minimise potential distress to respondents have been successfully implemented globally, although practices differ across surveys. Further analysis is required to assist governments to implement the best possible safety protocols to protect respondents in future surveys.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 9 Concerns may be heightened for surveys of youth, in terms of potentially causing distress or needing to respond to disclosure of maltreatment. 3 10 11 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Asking youth and adults about child maltreatment: a review of government surveys

et al. 2022

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“…A more recent publication outlined some recommendations for developing protocols to mitigate distress in childhood adversity/trauma event research, focusing on design features to minimize distress, and protocols to respond to participants who became distressed (Matthews et al, 2022). Some examples included: using validated, non-aversive instruments; sequencing and framing questions in a way that minimizes distress; employing professional interviewers; using local samples to test research instruments; ensuring participants are aware of their rights; and providing information about support agencies (Mathews et al, 2022). Elements of these were utilized in the included studies; however, none of the studies included all the elements.…”

Section: Recommendations For Future Protocolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In developing protocols to mitigate reactivity, precise definitions should be utilized to outline a clear referral pathway consistent with the local legal and practice environment (Devries et al, 2015;Mathews et al, 2022). These protocols should involve a stepped approach that addresses varying levels of distress, and training should be provided to all interviewers to ensure that they are able to recognize distress and implement protocols (Mathews et al, 2022). Developing protocols for this type of research is further complicated by the fact that the participants are minors who may also be disclosing information that warrants legal action.…”

Section: Recommendations For Future Protocolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Reactivity and Distress Protocols for Youth Trauma-related Research: A Scoping Review

Wei

Khalid

et al. 2022

IJCAR

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Objective: To explore literature regarding youth with Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), their potential reactivity to research, and research trauma mitigation protocols. Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted in APA PsychInfo, CINAHL, Embase, and OVID Medline. 2 reviewers screened each article for 12 eligible studies. Quantitative and qualitative studies measuring maltreatment and trauma research responses were eligible. Youth were defined as individuals aged 10-19. Results: No study utilized the ACEs questionnaire with research-related stress measures. Among those that included research reactivity measures, various forms of childhood and youth victimization were considered. The majority of participants did not report feeling upset, with many reporting benefits to participation. Information on protocols for managing distress was available for 11 studies, the most common being the provision of a resource helpsheet and/or referral system. Implications: There is no indication of distress following ACEs-related research, with few studies measuring across the research experience. One study measured follow-up for distress and further action. Additional research may be indicated to assess the effectiveness of these protocols in this population with a follow-up assessment.

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Applying Innovative Methods to Advance the Study of Youth At-Risk for Internet-Initiated Victimization

Noll

Roitman

2023

Child Maltreatment Solutions Network

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The ethics of child maltreatment surveys in relation to participant distress: Implications of social science evidence, ethical guidelines, and law

Cited by 26 publications

References 42 publications

Asking youth and adults about child maltreatment: a review of government surveys

Asking youth and adults about child maltreatment: a review of government surveys

Research Reactivity and Distress Protocols for Youth Trauma-related Research: A Scoping Review

Applying Innovative Methods to Advance the Study of Youth At-Risk for Internet-Initiated Victimization

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