Prevalence and associated risk factors of violence against conflict-affected female adolescents: a multi-country, cross-sectional study

Over half of displaced civilians in humanitarian emergencies are children, and these settings pose unique threats to children's safety with long-lasting consequences. In a recent article published in the Journal of Global Health, CPC Learning Network director Lindsay Stark, senior research associate Khudejha Asghar, and associates broaden the limited evidence base on violence against adolescent girls in emergencies by estimating prevalence and predictors of violence among adolescents girls in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia. Findings indicate a need for programs targeting younger populations, broader efforts to address different forms of victimization, and increased recognition of intimate partners and caregivers as perpetrators of violence in conflict-affected settings. 

Read the article here, or contact Dr. Stark here. 

An NPR article discussing the research can be found here.

Caregiver parenting and gender attitudes: Associations with violence against adolescent girls in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Violence against adolescent girls occurs at alarmingly high rates in conflict-affected settings, a reality due partly to their increased vulnerability from their age and gender. Humanitarian programming efforts, however, have historically focused either on child abuse prevention or intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention; they have not fully addressed the specific needs of adolescent girls, including engagement of caregivers to reduce risk of violence against adolescent girls. In this Child Abuse & Neglect article whose lead author is Kathryn Falb, CPC Learning Network director Lindsay Stark, senior research associate Khudejha Asghar, and colleagues examine whether gendered and parental attitudes of caregivers in South Kivu, DRC, were associated with their adolescent experiences of violence. Findings suggest that gender equitable attitudes for adults may be associated with reduced odds of sexual abuse and less acceptance of IPV for adolescent girl children. Understanding caregivers' attitudes may provide potential insight into how to more effectively engage and develop programming for caregivers to promote the safety and well-being of adolescent girls. 

Read the article here, or contact Dr. Falb here.

Numerous social factors shape girls' lives in conflict-affected settings, affecting their vulnerability to gender-based violence (GBV). CPC faculty affiliate Marni Sommer and colleagues recently published an article on a qualitative study examining spaces of perceived safety and risk for girls living in two conflict-affected populations: camps in Ethiopia hosting primarily South Sudanese and Sudanese refugees and communities in eastern DRC. Three major themes emerged: a) challenges around caregiver-child communication regarding development, sex, and sexual violence; b) a typology of safe/risky spaces; and c) the influence of male-dominated spaces on experiences and fear of GBV. The findings have implications for programs focused on reducing adolescent girls' vulnerability to violence within conflict-affected contexts. 

Read the article here, or contact Dr. Sommer. 

A recent study by the CPC affiliate institution the AfriChild Centre of Excellence for the Study of the African Child reveals that child labor and child prostitution--concepts defined and ranked by community members--are the two most harmful child protection concerns affecting children's well-being in Kiyindi, Uganda. Joyce Wanican, Executive Director of the AfriChild Centre, explains that the research was conducted to inform programs and policies to improve child well-being. Although this study, which was undertaken by Agatha Kafuko and colleagues, paints a bleak portrait of the realities that children in this impoverished fishing community face, it also highlights the work that community members are undertaking to support them and provides recommendations to improving the situation of children and families.

Read the report here. 

Partners Define Indicators to Determine Reach and Impact of the INSPIRE Technical Package

This past March, PAHO hosted an expert meeting in Washington, D.C. where UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly convened the 10 core partners agencies behind INSPIRE: seven strategies for ending violence against children to develop coverage and impact indicators for the technical package. The CPC Learning Network serves as the civil society co-lead with WHO of the INSPIRE Working Group. A consensus was reached on a set of items by which to ascertain - at national and local levels - the extent to which the INSPIRE strategies are being implemented, the prevalance of risk and protective factors addressed by the strategies, and the prevalance of the different types of violence against children that INSPIRE targets. 

Read more about the meeting here. 

The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) is the largest multi-country study of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. Coordinated by Promundo and UN Women in collaboration with local research partners, the report takes an innovative look at what it means to be a man in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine today. Exploring key issues at home and at work, in public and private life, the research confronts many of the stereotypes commonly associated with men in the region and highlights pathways to gender equality. 

Read the report here. 

A new report by the International NGO Council on Violence against Children and Adolescents which shows the progress and the global delay in ending violence against children since the first UN Study on Violence against Children. Millions of children are still beaten, tortured, and sentenced to death around the world despite increased attention to violence. This new study has found that countries have increasingly banned corporal punishment and abandoned life imprisonment for children over the last decade, but children under the age of 18 still face dangers from child marriage, "honor" killings, new forms of sexual violence; moreover, more children are facing the death penalty than ten years ago. 

Read the report here.

The NSPCC commissioned an evaluation of this therapeutic intervention with children affected by sexual abuse, which is grounded in an understanding of trauma, attachment and resilience, with the universities of Bristol and Durham.  The evaluation examines the delivery of Letting the Future In through case studies of eight NSPCC teams. Family case studies were undertaken with 12 children and youth and 17 carers to understand the acceptability of the service, perceptions, and impact. The evaluation also explored the nature and quality of the therapeutic relationship developed during Letting the Future In in which 24 children, carers and practitioners took part.  This report is part of the NSPCC's Impact and Evidence series, which presents the findings of the society's research into its services and interventions.

Read the report here.

Children without parental care are among the most vulnerable and left behind members of society, and they are one of the most likely groups to have been exposed to violence. This new publication by SOS Children's Villages examines the various forms of violence to which children without parental care or at risk of losing it are exposed. The publication also calls upon all stakeholders in the fields of child protection, development, humanitarian aid. and social services to take action to substantially reduce violence through appropriate prevention and response measures.   

Read the article here.

This recently released report aims to assist governments in deciding what to do to respond to the health needs of adolescents in their countries. It is intended as a reference document for national level policy-makers and program managers to assist in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating adolescent health programs. Case studies illustrate that what is being recommended can be achieved. 

Read the report here.

For over a decade, Raising Voices has been working to prevent both violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC). Two exciting pieces from this research (in partnership with Columbia University, Makerere University, and support from Sexual Violence Research Initiative) were recently published to help understand intersecting violence from a feminist perspective, pointing to the patriarchal family structure as a cross-cutting risk. The first is a qualitative article published in Social Science & Medicine, "Towards a Feminist Understanding of Intersecting Violence against Women and Children in the Family," which explores lived experiences of intersecting IPV-VAC and the attitudes and social norms that often normalize this violence. The second is learning pape, "Potential Pathways to Prevention: Understanding the Intersections of Violence against Women and Children in the Family." Number 7 in Raising Voices's Learning from Practice series, this paper aims to translate research and program learning into actions that can advance discussion and experimentation to prevent violence.

Read the Social Science& Medicine article here, or contact lead author Sophie Namy here. The learning paper here.

News article: "How can you leave no one behind when millions of children are uncounted?"

The exact figure of unregistered children around the world is unknown but it is measured in millions. In 2015, the world's governments signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which contain a central pledge to leave no one behind. When it comes to this specific issue, there is a problem in the way progress on many of the SDGs' 17 goals and 169 targets will be measured: most are or will be measured at country level through household-based surveys. By their nature, these surveys exclude people who live outside of traditional households. The homeless, refugees, and nomadic peoples--usually the poorest and the most vulnerable people among broader populations--are and will not be counted in household surveys, nor will children who live in orphanages or on the streets. Now many child rights advocates are insisting that all children are counted, a process that may require new measurement methods. This recently published article by the Guardian references work done by Lindsay Stark, director of the CPC Learning Network, and senior research associate Beth Rubenstein assessing the welfare of children living outside of family care in Cambodia.

Read the article here.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) is implementing two multi-year research studies in partnership with Columbia University and the World Bank's Gender Innovation Lab to evaluate new and innovative violence prevention programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). IRC is seeking to hire a WPE Senior Research Manager responsible for coordinating all data collections and ongoing research projects, providing contextually relevant input research tools and results, monitoring activities linked to the research studdies that the IRC DRC is implementing in North and South Kivu, and contributing to the development of future research studies and grant applications. 

Read more and apply here. 

Technical Advisor for Social Work

M'Lop Tapang is a Cambodian non-governmental organization that works with vulnerable children, youth and their families since 2003. M'Lop Tapang has three major social work teams: Outreach team, Drugs and Harm Reduction team, and Child Protection team. They are looking for a qualified candidate to fill the position of Technical Advisor for Social Work to provide support to their social work programs. Closing date for applications is June 20, 2017. 

Read more and apply here. 

International Rescue Committee is seeking to hire a Quality Assurance Consultant to work an upcoming endline assessment for the Engaging Men through Accountable Practice (EMAP) intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The EMAP impact evaluation will be launching mid-July in collaboration with the Gender Innovation Lab at the World Bank. This consultancy will be approximately 15 weeks of work with the necessity to be in country for 5-7 of those weeks (August-September). Fluency in French is required. 

Read more and apply here. 

Epidemiologist 

Global Health Institute of University of Antwerp is looking to hire an epidemiologist (post-doc level) to join their research team for the NSETHIO project funded by the European Research Council studying the cause of nodding syndrome and epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic countries. This position is for an initial 12 months fixed-term contract for a full-time position with possible extension.  Application deadline is June 15, 2017.

Read more and apply here.