Reshaping the conversation: development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

Professor Andrea de Silva

Dr Peter Kremer

Alexandra Shriane

There is inconsistency in the language used when discussing child sexual abuse in Australia. As such, across contexts and organisations, variable terms and definitions are used, which may contribute to confusion and impair messaging. Further, it is unknown whether the language currently in use is appropriate and endorsed for use by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

This project aims to create a shared language and preferred definitions guide, endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, that can be used by the National Centre and broader community, as well as in research, policy, practice and service delivery contexts.

This project incorporates two related phases of work: a co-design development phase, and a second phase incorporating a two-stage modified Delphi process.

The first phase will involve a co-design forum with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. This forum will aim to act as a roundtable discussion for victims and survivors to review and discuss a pool of existing terms and definitions, with the purpose of generating an agreed ‘starting’ set of shared language and preferred definitions to be used during subsequent phases.

The second phase will involve a two-stage Delphi process. The first stage will include a broader cohort of victims and survivors, who will be asked to provide feedback on the shared language and preferred definitions developed through the co-design forum. A Delphi process will be used to determine consensus amongst victims and survivors regarding the acceptability of these terms and definitions. The second stage will involve a similar Delphi process, involving practitioners, policymakers and researchers providing feedback, and again, aiming to achieve consensus regarding the proposed language.