Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study

Christine Barter; Farwa Batool; Joanna Charles; John Devaney; Nicola Farrelly; David Haynes; Zain Kurdi; Annmarie Millar; Claire Monks; Helen Richardson Foster; Lorraine Radford; Rhiannon Tudor Edwards; Eira Winrow; Nicky Stanley

doi:10.1111/chso.12658

Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study

Christine Barter^* (Lead Author), Farwa Batool, Joanna Charles, John Devaney, Nicola Farrelly, David Haynes, Zain Kurdi, Annmarie Millar, Claire Monks, Helen Richardson Foster, Lorraine Radford, Rhiannon Tudor Edwards, Eira Winrow, Nicky Stanley

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school-based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6-11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so following the intervention. Eight focus groups were undertaken with 52 children and nine interviews with school staff. We highlight key considerations for conducting large-scale mixed-method research on sensitive topics with younger children, a focus that is largely absent from the extant research methods literature. The feasibility study showed that younger children can contribute their views on sensitive topics in ways that are measurable, replicable and reliable, contesting ideas that certain topics are too sensitive to explore with younger children.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	79-96
Number of pages	18
Journal	Children & Society
Volume	38
Issue number	1
Early online date	23 Nov 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12658
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

child abuse
prevention
younger children
methodology
evaluation

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10.1111/chso.12658Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

BarterEtal2022CSConductingLargeScaleMixedMethodResearchFinal published version, 170 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

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Barter, C., Batool, F., Charles, J., Devaney, J., Farrelly, N., Haynes, D., Kurdi, Z., Millar, A., Monks, C., Richardson Foster, H., Radford, L., Tudor Edwards, R., Winrow, E., & Stanley, N. (2024). Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study. Children & Society, 38(1), 79-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12658

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title = "Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study",

abstract = "This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school-based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6-11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so following the intervention. Eight focus groups were undertaken with 52 children and nine interviews with school staff. We highlight key considerations for conducting large-scale mixed-method research on sensitive topics with younger children, a focus that is largely absent from the extant research methods literature. The feasibility study showed that younger children can contribute their views on sensitive topics in ways that are measurable, replicable and reliable, contesting ideas that certain topics are too sensitive to explore with younger children.",

keywords = "child abuse, prevention, younger children, methodology, evaluation",

author = "Christine Barter and Farwa Batool and Joanna Charles and John Devaney and Nicola Farrelly and David Haynes and Zain Kurdi and Annmarie Millar and Claire Monks and {Richardson Foster}, Helen and Lorraine Radford and {Tudor Edwards}, Rhiannon and Eira Winrow and Nicky Stanley",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank all children, school staff, NSPCC staff and volunteers who contributed to this study. We also thank the members of the study's Young People's Advisory Group, Academic Advisory Group and the NSPCC for funding the study. ",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/chso.12658",

language = "English",

volume = "38",

pages = "79--96",

journal = "Children & Society",

issn = "0951-0605",

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Barter, C, Batool, F, Charles, J, Devaney, J, Farrelly, N, Haynes, D, Kurdi, Z, Millar, A, Monks, C, Richardson Foster, H, Radford, L, Tudor Edwards, R, Winrow, E & Stanley, N 2024, 'Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study', Children & Society, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 79-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12658

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T1 - Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12

T2 - Learning from a UK feasibility study

AU - Barter, Christine

AU - Batool, Farwa

AU - Charles, Joanna

AU - Devaney, John

AU - Farrelly, Nicola

AU - Haynes, David

AU - Kurdi, Zain

AU - Millar, Annmarie

AU - Monks, Claire

AU - Richardson Foster, Helen

AU - Radford, Lorraine

AU - Tudor Edwards, Rhiannon

AU - Winrow, Eira

AU - Stanley, Nicky

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank all children, school staff, NSPCC staff and volunteers who contributed to this study. We also thank the members of the study's Young People's Advisory Group, Academic Advisory Group and the NSPCC for funding the study.

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school-based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6-11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so following the intervention. Eight focus groups were undertaken with 52 children and nine interviews with school staff. We highlight key considerations for conducting large-scale mixed-method research on sensitive topics with younger children, a focus that is largely absent from the extant research methods literature. The feasibility study showed that younger children can contribute their views on sensitive topics in ways that are measurable, replicable and reliable, contesting ideas that certain topics are too sensitive to explore with younger children.

AB - This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school-based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6-11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so following the intervention. Eight focus groups were undertaken with 52 children and nine interviews with school staff. We highlight key considerations for conducting large-scale mixed-method research on sensitive topics with younger children, a focus that is largely absent from the extant research methods literature. The feasibility study showed that younger children can contribute their views on sensitive topics in ways that are measurable, replicable and reliable, contesting ideas that certain topics are too sensitive to explore with younger children.

KW - child abuse

KW - prevention

KW - younger children

KW - methodology

KW - evaluation

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DO - 10.1111/chso.12658

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VL - 38

SP - 79

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JO - Children & Society

JF - Children & Society

IS - 1

ER -

Conducting large-scale mixed-method research on harm and abuse prevention with children under 12: Learning from a UK feasibility study

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