Active Research

Building trauma-responsive sexual health and relationship education

Needs of victims and survivors

Response to child sexual abuse

Research Topic areas

Education
Intersection with other violence/victimisation

Project Duration

Start: July 2023

End: October 2025

Geographical Scope

Nation-wide

Populations

Victims and survivorsGeneral communityWorkforce

Adolescents (13-17 years)Young adults (18-25 years)Adults (26-65 years)Older adults (>65 years)

Gender

All genders

Project Lead

Associate Professor Tim Moore, Australian Catholic University

Project lead email: tim.moore@acu.edu.au

Project Team

Associate Professor Jodi Death, Queensland University of Technology

Leesa Waters, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Rani Kumar, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Oliver White, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Background

Many young people tell us that relationship and sexual health education needs a re-think. This is particularly true for young people who have experienced maltreatment, for whom relationship and sexual health education can be particularly confusing, confronting and unresponsive to their needs.

Aims

This research project aims to understand what young people who have experienced maltreatment need and want from relationship and sexual health education and to co-design youth-informed and trauma-responsive principles, practices and tools for educators in universal and targeted settings.

Methods

This project will build on the international literature, captured through systematic reviews, include interviews with 15 young people who have experienced childhood maltreatment and co-design workshops with a group of 30 stakeholders, including young people, educators, researchers and adult survivors. A survey will gain feedback from key stakeholders about the value and useability of the proposed resources.

Significance and Dissemination

This project aims to improve the safety and trauma-responsiveness of relationship and sexual health education and provide invaluable guidance to educators on how to meet young people’s needs. Young people who have experienced childhood maltreatment will be active partners and co-designers and help shape what we do, how we do it and the resources that are developed.

Further Details

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Funding body:
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Funding budget:
$228,544 grant

Monitoring and governance:
This project is guided by oversight of the Project Advisory Group

Australian Human Research Ethics Committee:
This project is subject to ethical oversight by the Australian Catholic University Human Research Ethics Committee (ratified by the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee)

Webpage link:
https://nationalcentre.org.au/research/building-trauma-responsive-sexual-health-and-relationship-education/

Prevention of child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.

Emma Rees
Queensland University of Technology

Needs of victims and survivors

Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews

Michaela Guthridge
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Understanding child sexual abuse

Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)

Graham Gee
Murdoch Children's Research Institute