Impact case study database
Preventing and Responding to Violence and Abuse in the Lives of Children and Young People
1. Summary of the impact
Our research has had impact in three main areas. Firstly, in the mandatory introduction of Relationships and Sex Education in all schools across England and Wales in 2020, impacting on over 9 million children. In addition, we have had a significant impact on strengthening social care and health responses to children experiencing violence by improving guidance, training and service innovation. In particular, we have contributed to the wide-reaching National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the response to children experiencing domestic violence. We have also achieved significant impact through the development of national and international child protection strategies and monitoring systems. We have worked with international violence prevention organisations and child abuse inquiries, informing UNICEF’s global data collection activities which feeds into policy making and implementation, and produces benchmarks and measures change.
2. Underpinning research
Our research addresses important gaps in knowledge about firstly, the extent, hidden nature and diversity of children’s and young people’s experiences of violence and abuse and secondly, effective responses. The establishment of the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm in 2013 brought new researchers to the Centre, increasing opportunities for transdisciplinary and collaborative research. In addition to exploring the prevalence and impact of violence against children and young people, our research focuses on children’s experiences of harm and abuse and the methods used to ask about this.
The Safeguarding Teenagers’ Intimate Relationships (STIR) project (led by Barter prior to joining the University of Central Lancashire in partnership with Stanley) [1], was a mixed methods European study of 4,500 young people’s experiences of intimate partner abuse and the connections between online and offline risks. This found between half and two-thirds of girls and a third to two-thirds of boys aged 14 to 17 years reported experiences of interpersonal violence and abuse (IPVA). Key vulnerabilities associated with IPVA for instigators and victims were identified. This research resulted in Barter’s evaluation of the Premier League and BBC Children in Need’s intervention, Stopping the Cycle of Youth Violence, delivered in eight Premier League Clubs between 2018 and 2020 [2].
Radford’s studies for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (2015 with Barter and Stanley) and UNICEF [3] reviewed international research on the prevalence and nature of child abuse, including abuse within care systems where knowledge remains poor. The research shows that young people can be asked safely and ethically about experiences of violence in surveys and mixed methods studies and that they want their views to be considered. This work was further developed in subsequent research on violence against children and ethical issues in research.
Our second area of work harnesses this first strand of work to inform research on effective interventions. This has included research on prevention programmes and responses to domestic abuse and to child sexual abuse and exploitation. Radford, Stanley and Barter’s evidence review, commissioned by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse England [4], and Radford’s 2015 UNICEF review [3] brought together messages from international research. This focused on preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation across different national contexts in order to inform future policy and programme development, including UNICEF’s child protection strategy.
Stanley’s influential NSPCC funded research on police and social care responses to domestic abuse (2009-11) and her work on fathering (2009-12) as a motivating factor for ending perpetration of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) informed her practitioner-focused review [5] of children’s experiences of DVA. Together, these studies stimulated new work on ‘whole family’ interventions in DVA and she has contributed to two major evaluations of ‘whole family’ interventions developed by the Stefanou Foundation and Doncaster Children’s Trust.
In respect of preventive interventions, Stanley et al’s Preventing Domestic Abuse for Children and Young People (PEACH) study [6] reviewed international evidence on preventing domestic abuse for children and young people, identifying the key conditions and components of effective programmes. This review has laid the foundations for further studies on prevention programmes, specifically a large-scale evaluation of the NSPCC’s abuse prevention programme in primary schools across the UK led by Stanley with Connect Centre colleagues.
3. References to the research
Barter, C., Stanley, N., Wood, M., Lanau, A., Aghtaie, N., Larkins, C., & Øverlien, C. (2017) Young people’s online and face-to-face experiences of interpersonal violence and abuse and their subjective impact across five European countries. Psychology of Violence, 7 (3), pp. 375-384. PI Barter, EU Daphne III Programme, 2012-15. DOI : 10.1037/vio0000096 *
Barter, C., Hargreaves, P., Bracewell, K. with Pitts, J. (2020) BBC Children in Need and Premier League Charitable Fund Joint Programme Breaking the Cycle of Youth Violence: Independent Evaluation Report 2020. https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Breaking-the-Cycle-of-Youth-Violence-Evalution-Report-2020.pdf. PI Barter, Children in Need Funding, 2018-2020.
Radford, L. Allnock, D. & Hynes, P. (2015) Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: Evidence Review New York: UNICEF and Radford, L. Allnock, D. & Hynes, P. (2015) Promising Programmes to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. New York : UNICEF, PI Radford, UNICEF, 2013-15.*
Radford, L. Richardson-Foster, H. Barter, C. & Stanley, N. (2017 ) Rapid Evidence Assessment: What can be learnt from other jurisdictions about preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. Review for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, London: IICSA. PI Radford, Crown Office, 2016-2017.*
Stanley, N. (2011) Children Experiencing Domestic Violence: A Research Review. Dartington: RIP. PI Stanley, Research Into Practice, 2010.*
Stanley, N., Ellis, J., Farrelly, N., Hollinghurst, S., Bailey, S. and Downe, S. (2015) Preventing Domestic Abuse for Children and Young People (PEACH): A Mixed Knowledge Scoping Review. Public Health Research, 3, 7, http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/phr/volume-3/issue-7#abstract. PI Stanley, NIHR, 2013-15.*
* represents peer-reviewed output
4. Details of the impact
National policy on Relationships and Sex Education
Extensive national and international coverage of the Safeguarding Teenagers’ Intimate Relationships (STIR) study [1] findings on coercion and abuse in young people’s intimate lives included front-page coverage in the national press [A]. Barter acted as consultant and appeared on Panorama’s ‘When Kids Abuse Kids’ in 2017. She was subsequently invited to act as an expert adviser to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in Schools [B]. Stanley drew on findings from the Preventing Domestic Abuse for Children and Young People (PEACH) study [6] to give evidence to the Committee, addressing the prevention of sexual violence and abuse by boys. The STIR research was referenced five times in the Committee’s report which recommended that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) be made statutory. The Government drew on this recommendation in 2017 in announcing the extension of RSE to children in all primary and secondary schools in England and Wales. Stanley and Barter advised on the drafting of a Parliamentary Briefing Paper that informed debates in both Houses of Parliament on this issue and contributed to relevant guidance [C1, C2]. RSE (secondary schools) and Relationships Education (primary schools) became a statutory part of the curriculum in September 2020 and is influencing the attitudes and behaviour of over nine million children.
Health and social care responses to children experiencing violence through professional guidance, training, new tools and service innovation
Stanley’s research on the service response to domestic abuse [5] resulted in an invitation to join the NICE Guideline Development Group and the NICE Quality Standard Committee on domestic violence and abuse [D]. This NICE guidance is widely used in training events, practice and planning throughout the NHS. Stanley’s contribution has been influential in alerting health practitioners across England and Wales in settings such as A&E, community health, primary care, midwifery and sexual health services, to the impact of domestic abuse on children. She also advised on the development of a practice focused SCIE/NICE guide (2020) for social workers.
Her research has informed the development of a new model of intervention in Iceland where police and social workers attend domestic abuse calls at households together [E]. Stanley’s work on ‘whole family’ domestic abuse interventions influenced interventions in Doncaster and the ‘For Baby’s Sake’ programme piloted in two sites in Southern England and now rolled out to a further two sites in Blackpool and Cambridgeshire.
Barter’s work on interpersonal violence and abuse (IPVA) in young people’s relationships ensured that both private and public forms of violence, were central programme objectives of a GBP5,000,000 programme with elite football clubs and BBC Children in Need on the targeted prevention of the cycle of abuse. This is currently being delivered to over 600,000 young people. The Head of Insight at BBC Children in Need said: “Dr Barter’s evaluation findings on the impact of Breaking the Cycle of Youth Violence Pilot programme were critical in supporting the decision of BBC Children in Need and the Premier League to move from a pilot programme working with 10 clubs, to a 3 year programme now working with 45 clubs.” [F]
The STIR study [1] produced an app on healthy relationships directly accessed by young people in four European languages. Stanley’s research review [4] and Barter’s (2016, 2020) briefing paper on violence in young people’s relationships have informed practitioner training delivered to over 3000 practitioners across the UK and Ireland by Research into Practice, Making Research Count, Safeguarding Boards and third sector organisations.
Developing national and international child protection strategies, services and knowledge through work with international charities and child abuse inquiries.
Connect Centre researchers produced two research reports for national abuse inquiries in England and Scotland, giving oral evidence on three occasions [G]. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) proceedings were disseminated live on YouTube and the research on abuse in care in Scotland reached diverse audiences through extensive media coverage. These studies are informing the ongoing work of both Inquiries.
Radford’s research has shaped international knowledge on child abuse. Following her UNICEF review [3], she was invited to join an international expert group advising on the redesign of UNICEF’s national surveys on violence against children. Case studies and briefings were prepared on ethical issues to inform the guidance on child maltreatment data collection for UNICEF [H] and International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) [I]. The research has also informed the Australian Royal Commission on Child Abuse recommendations on best practice in conducting self-report surveys with children [J] and the Office of National Statistics’ current plans to introduce a supplementary module on childhood abuse within the Crime Survey England and Wales.
UNICEF promoted implementation of Radford’s child sexual abuse evidence reviews at events in 2014-15 with policy makers and practitioners in six countries. Her research informed the development of UNICEF’s child protection strategy in South Africa and the theory of change underpinning UNICEF’s Global Child Protection Strategy [H]. Recommendations on sexual abuse prevention were used in UNICEF’s Six Strategies for Action which has guided the development of frontline services for children in low to middle income countries [H].
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
A. Bennett, R. (2015) ‘Almost half of teenage girls coerced into sex acts: Two fifths suffer pressure or violence’, The Times, Wednesday 11 February 2015, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/almost-half-of-teenage-girls-coerced-into-sex-acts-z85w0mstg3x
B. House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee (2016) Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in Schools: Third Report of Session 2016–17. HC 91. London: House of Commons, para 8. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmwomeq/91/91.pdf
C. Parlimentary Evidence:
C.1 Houses of Parliament, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, PostNote 576, Relationships and Sex Education, June 2018, https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/POST-PN-0576
C.2 House of Lords discussion:
D. Corroborating Statement from professor Gene Feder, Chair of Programme Development Group for NICE Domestic Violence and Abuse Guidelines.
E. New multiagency service established in Iceland for responding to children at DV incidents. Evidence: influence of Stanley’s research acknowledged in presentation by Ragna Björg Guðbrandsdóttir at Social Services Expo 2015, Edinburgh.
F. Email statement from Children in Need - Craig Tomlinson, Head of Insight - Impact, Children in Need and Nick Perchard , Head of Community, Premier League Charitable Fund.
G. Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)
Agenda July 5th
H. Email from Clara Sommarin, Head of Sexual Violence Prevention, Child Protection Policy, UNICEF, New York, March 2018.
I. ISPCAN (2016) Ethical Considerations for the Collection, Analysis & Publication of Child Maltreatment Data, ISPCAN.
J. Matthews, B. Walsh, K. Dunne, M. Katz, I. Arney, F. Higgins, D. Octoman, O. Parkinson, S. & Bates, S. (2016) Scoping study for research into the prevalence of child abuse in Australia: Prepared for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse University of New South Wales.
Additional contextual information
Grant funding
| Grant number | Value of grant |
|---|---|
| JUST/2011/DAP/AG/3330 | £551,628 |
| 1 | £74,910 |
| 2 | £122,000 |
| 3 | £110,000 |
| 4 | £12,000 |
| 5 | £399,000 |
| 7 | £660 |
| 8 | £65,000 |
| 9 | £46,000 |
| 10 | £48,509 |
| PHR 11/3008/21 | £161,000 |