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Proposing a robust research agenda

Why is there such a shortage of research on the effects of
violence on young children? Drawing on her experience of working
in Israeli-occupied Palestine, Bree Akesson suggests some
explanations and ideas for furthering the research agenda.
Many children live in homes
characterised by violence, and domestic
violence is more prevalent in homes
with younger children than in those
with older children (Brown and Bzostek,
2003). Young children living in violent
households may experience a range of
short- and long-term consequences,
such as developmental and learning
delays, greater susceptibility to physical
illness and mental health problems,
and increased risk of mortality yet
we still know very little detail about
the nature of these consequences
for dierent kinds of violence.
is lack of evidence makes it
dicult to adequately understand
the scope of the problem and create
programmes to prevent and ameliorate
its eects. International child
protection expert Professor Michael
Wessells of Columbia University
recently conducted the rst global
inter-agency review of community-
based child protection programmes
in humanitarian and development
settings (Wessells, 2009). Out of 160
programme documents, his review
found that only nine addressed the
topic of family violence and only one
addressed the needs of young children
(aged 08 years); no documents
addressed both family violence and
young children. Wessells notes (p. 53):
e lack of intentional prioritisation
of supports for young children was
surprising, since early childhood is
associated with distinctive protection
risks.
Why is research specic to young
children in relation to family violence
so limited? ere are a number of
contributory factors (many of which
aect research into child protection
more generally):
t Oen studies are not consistently
concerned with identifying age- or
stage-related dierences.
t Anecdotal research and reports are
more common than qualitative or
quantitative research, which means
that it is dicult to establish the
scope of a problem.
t Very few studies use comparison
groups. In Wessellss (2009)
systematic review, only 3% included
comparison groups with pre- and
post-intervention measures.
t Many samples are self-selecting or
introduce some other form of bias.
t Prospective longitudinal studies
are much less common than
retrospective (ex post facto) studies,
which Wessells (2009) reported
made up 84% of the papers reviewed
yet retrospective studies cannot
determine causality over the long
term.
Research with young children affected by family violence
Proposing a robust research agenda
Bree Akesson, McGill University School of Social Work, Montreal, Canada
1
Bernard van Leer Foundation | Early Childhood Matters | June 2011
| 23
t Symptom checklists are commonly
used in research because they are
quick and cheap, but they are hard
to use with the youngest children,
where more nuanced forms of
observational research are needed.
t Research into violence raises dicult
questions about when specic
instances of family violence should
be reported to authorities which
is mandated in some countries for
all health professionals, including
researchers.
The reality of research in the eld:
an example from the West Bank
Why have young children not been
prioritised as an important age
group for research and programme
development? Useful insight is
provided by a 2010 eld visit to
the West Bank in Israeli-occupied
Palestine, where I am currently
doing research with young children
and their families into the broader
environment of violence in which
young children live. While conducting
an informal mapping exercise of
child protection organisations in the
West Bank, I discovered that very few
programmes included young children
as a population of interest. Most were
designed for school-aged children
or young people. I asked why the
programmes did not include young
children, and directors and managers
of these organisations oen responded
with at least one of the following three
answers.
. Very young children are not
aected by violence.
Many people stated that only when
children reach a certain age do they
realise what is happening around
them there is a common belief that
very young children are not aected
by violence because they are too young
to understand. is view is mistaken,
however. We know that even among
the youngest children, associations
have been found between exposure to
violence and subsequent disorders (see
for example Drell et al., 1993; Zeanah,
1994; Osofsky et al., 1995), and that the
emotional stress that young children
experience in the home environment
can impair brain development and
cognitive/sensory growth (Perry, 2001).
. Younger children are not able to
express their ideas.
Young childrens abilities are oen
underestimated. As James writes (2008:
416), Young children are working
hard to understand the world around
them and the roles they will play in
it. e depth of their thinking and
the importance of their emotions are
oen misjudged. Young children have
much to share about their experiences
living in violent households, and it
is the responsibility of researchers to
nd a way to listen to them as they
communicate their lived experiences
in their own voices, whether that
be through verbal or non-verbal
communication.
. Interacting with young children
is dicult, because they cannot be
separated from their parents.
It was common for the people I
interviewed to reply that children
under 5 years old were not accessible
for research studies because they were
the responsibility of their parents. is
is especially a concern for research
involving the sensitive topic of family
violence, which can be a source of
shame and stigma for family members
or caregivers.
Because of the ethical considerations
of asking children directly about their
experiences of violence, most research
has concentrated on parents accounts
of their childrens experiences (Berry,
2009). However, at least two studies
have found that there are signicant
dierences between parent and child
perspectives of household violence
(Grover, 2004). Relying on caregivers
as the sole source of data poses a
Lack of evidence makes it difcult to adequately
understand the scope of the problem and create
programmes to prevent and ameliorate its effects.
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Proposing a robust research agenda
particular problem in research on
maltreatment, because the interests of
the parent and the child may be at odds
(Berry, 2009).
Nevertheless, because young
children are very much infuenced by
those around them, when we conduct
research with them we must also
engage with their family members. By
understanding family members, we
can better understand the mechanisms
of family violence. Furthermore, the
indication that the psychosocial well-
being of young children is related to
family relationships points to future
research focusing on family support
and working within the framework of
the family unit.
Filling the gaps: suggestions
for future research
How, then, can we fll the gaps in the
research base around young children
who live in violent households,
and thereby improve the prospects
for appropriate and adequate
programming that meets the needs of
these children? Te following ideas are
suggestions to guide future research.
1. Research should acknowledge the
positive aspects of young childrens
development and family well-
being, rather than predominantly
focusing on negative functioning
and psychopathology. Tis will help
us to understand better how young
children survive and persevere in the
face of adversity.
i. Young children can be an important
source of knowledge about their
own lives and communities. Yet at
the same time their experiences are
constantly shaped and infuenced by
those around them. Understanding
the young child from this ecological
perspective would allow for siblings,
caregivers, and members of the
childs social environment who
have day-to-day contact with young
children to be involved in research.
Eforts should be made to gather data
from multiple sources. In contrast to
studies that rely on a single source
of data from a parent or teacher,
research should integrate data
gathered from a variety of sources
(including children, caregivers,
teachers, community members) using
multiple methods to suit the research
question and the age and stage of the
child (for example, surveys, drawings,
maps, narratives, observation). Not
only does this increase the reliability
of the data and allow for fexibility if
one of the informants is a perpetrator
of family violence, but it also creates
a rich source of data from multiple
perspectives.
:. Any research project should
recognise place as well as people
as an important factor in the
environment that infuences the
young childs life and development.
Understanding the impact of
the built environment (such as
the home, school, play spaces)
on the young childs well-being
adds another layer of analysis.
By understanding the lived
experience of the young child from
multiple points of view, we can
comprehensively examine the ways
in which young children negotiate
violence in their day-to-day lives.
a. Research must be carried out in
diverse locations around the globe to
increase the relevance of the results
in multiple cross-cultural contexts.
Studies conducted in various settings
allow for an in vivo approach to
research, so that current efects can
be evaluated.
-. Whenever possible, research of this
kind should be designed to include
random sampling and longitudinal
studies. By extending research in
these directions, we may achieve a
better understanding of the universal
aspects of the efects of family
violence on young children, based
on data that are specifc to culture,
age and context.
o. Research must be linked to practice
and policy. Examining the way
that young children and their
families experience violence in
the home can inform the way that
early childhood programmes are
When we conduct research with young children
we must also engage with their family members.
Bernard van Leer Foundation | Early Childhood Matters | June 2011
| 25
developed. ere is also a pressing
need for the evaluation of existing
programmes that cater to young
children aected by family violence.
Furthermore, research would benet
from capitalising on the experience
of early childhood professionals
already working with families and
integrating their experience into
ongoing research projects.
. Finally, and perhaps most
importantly, future research
should work within existing social
structures, building upon indigenous
mechanisms that already work
within families and communities.
For example, researchers should
ensure that any research question,
methodology or tool is culturally
appropriate, by collaborating with
children, families, and community
members during all phases of the
research.
ese suggestions are by no means
exhaustive, but they put forward ideas
for designing and implementing valid
and valuable research with young
children aected by family violence.
Note
1 e author would like to thank Lysanne
Rivard and Mireille de la Sablonnire-
Grin for their helpful contributions.
References
Berry, V. (2009). Ethical considerations in
conducting family violence research.
Research Ethics Review 5(3): 9198.
Brown, B.V. and Bzostek, S. (2003). Violence
in the lives of children. Cross Currents:
Child Trends DataBank 1(August): 113
Drell, M., Siegel, C. and Gaensbauer, T. (1993).
Post-traumatic stress disorders. In: Zeanah, C.
(ed.), Handbook of Infant Mental Health (pp.
291304). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Grover, S. (2004). Why wont they listen to us? On
giving power and voice to children participating
in social research. Childhood 11(1): 8193.
James, J.H. (2008). Making sense of
place: Sarahs story. Early Childhood
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Osofsky, J., Cohen, G. and Drell, M. (1995).
e eects of trauma on young children: a
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Perry, B.D. (2001). e neurodevelopmental
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Wessells, M. (2009). What are we Learning
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Zeanah, C.H. (1994). e assessment and
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(pp. 2937). Arlington, VA: Zero to ree/
National Center for Clinical Infant Programs.
Any research project should recognise place
as well as people as an important factor in
the environment that influences the young
childs life and development.
Photo: Bree Akesson