Evident supported the UNICEF Malaysia Country Office to research and consolidate the data regarding reporting mechanisms for violence against children in the Malaysian context for a brief policy paper to inform their government advocacy. This assignment included a rapid mapping of the current reporting infrastructure in Malaysia mechanisms – including helplines and reporting hotlines/portals and the broader child protection infrastructure for responding to violence against children, including CSEA. It further explored the global research evidence and regional good practice examples. The paper distilled this evidence, to articulate ten concrete actions that could underscore advocacy to government for practical improvements to the reporting mechanisms for violence against children in Malaysia.
Tag: research
Paper: CSEA Disclosure and Help-Seeking – A Glimpse of the Global South Data
This peer-reviewed article in Child Abuse Review by Dr Mark Kavenagh and Dr Kati Maternowska analyses data from large-scale population surveys in 20 global South countries to understand why young people disclose child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), or more importatnly, why they don’t. For example, only 1-10% of children in countries like Haiti, Honduras, and Uganda received services after disclosing sexual violence. That doesn’t provide great motivation to speak about such a sensitive and difficult topic. Read the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/car.2887
Paper: Child Sexual Abuse/Exploitation and LGBTQI+ Children: Context, Links, Vulnerabilities, Gaps, Challenges and Priorities
This peer-reviewed article in the brand new Child Protection and Practice journal was co-authored by Dr Mark Capaldi from Mahidol University and Evident’s Jennifer Schatz and Dr Mark Kavenagh. The article explores the intricate issue of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSEA) among LGBTQI+ children. Research reveals that LGBTQI+ status is associated with increased risks for CSEA, with these young individuals facing unique challenges such as homelessness, poly-victimization, and barriers to accessing vital protections. Yet it is crucial to understand that being LGBTQI+ is not the cause of increased vulnerability to CSEA. Instead, societal discrimination, stigma, and oppression linked to LGBTQI+ status elevate the risks of victimization. Our research highlights the need for targeted interventions and support to address these […]
Are We Remembering the Boys?
Dr. Mark Kavenagh, recently made an appearance on the ‘One in Ten’ podcast by the National Children’s Alliance. In this compelling episode titled “Are We Remembering the Boys?”, he sheds light on a vital, yet often overlooked aspect of the discourse surrounding sexual exploitation – the experiences of boys. While there is no denying the fact that girls across the globe are disproportionately vulnerable to both sexual abuse and exploitation, Mark emphasized the reality that sexual violence does not discriminate by gender. Boys, too, are victims, but they often face unique stigmas and burdens that can hinder their path to healing. Listen to the full episode here.
Web Safe and Wise Campaign Support
Over five months of coaching and support, the team at Evident supported programming staff, together with communications staff from seven ChildFund country offices in South and Southeast Asia. Together, we identified and crafted seven narratives that showcased country office’s existing and new programmatic work regarding online safety. Based on these narratives, the team drafted a range of comms products that the country offices could use to articulate these narratives via public and media engagements, advocacy work with government, and other activities within the organisations broader global Web Safe and Wise campaign.
Participation of boys in research on child sexual abuse and exploitation
Research on child sexual exploitation and abuse must safely include children’s perspectives yet there is still a tendency to shy away from such participation, and this can be especially true for boys and young men. Evident’s Director, Dr Mark Kavenagh took part in a recent discussion hosted by the Our Voices University Network to unpack some of the barriers to boys participation in research on these topics. You can read key points from the discussion here.