Refining survey methodologies to improve the measurement of violence against children

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded Emory University $100,228 on December 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to refine survey methodologies for measuring violence against children.

The project will assess the magnitude and correlates of violence against children non-disclosure in traditional face-to-face interviews and identify the modeling approach to violence against children measurement that is theoretically and empirically best-fitting across three low-resource settings, while evaluating whether the modeling strategy enables cross-country comparisons. The team will use multilevel and cross-classified regression models to identify sociodemographic correlates of underreporting and assess how survey administration mode and location impact disclosure. Confirmatory factor analyses will test measurement fit across settings. The award will provide scientific training and mentorship to the principal investigator and generate recommendations to improve violence against children measurement while supporting the investigator's transition to independent research status.

Performance runs through November 30, 2029, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The funding addresses a gap in valid, comparable measurement of violence against children, which impedes monitoring progress toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, Target 16.2, and limits researchers' and policymakers' ability to assess prevention program impacts.

Abstract

Significance: violence against children (VAC) is a public health and human rights issue that negatively impacts the health, education, and social development of survivors. The united nations endorsed sustainable development goal 16 to promote global peace and safety, including target 16.2, which aims to end the abuse and exploitation of children. Unfortunately, monitoring progress toward this goal is hampered by flaws in the various methods and instruments used to measure VAC. This leaves researchers and policymakers without clear guidance on how to best monitor VAC and assess the impacts of prevention programs. Precise, valid, and comparable measures of VAC are vital to the shared goal of protecting children from harm. To this end, this project will provide the PI with the scientific training and mentorship needed to address key limitations of current VAC measures, including underreporting and a lack of measurement equivalence. This will generate a set of recommendations to improve the measurement of VAC and will also serve as a roadmap for the PI's transition to independent researcher. Aims: this study aims to improve the continuum of VAC measurement, from data collection to data analysis, by: (1) assessing the magnitude and correlates of VAC non-disclosure in traditional face-to-face interviews and (2) identifying the modeling approach to VAC that is theoretically and empirically best-fitting in each of three low-resource settings, and assessing the degree to which this modeling strategy is similar enough to enable cross-country comparisons. Methods: for aim 1, the team will use multilevel and cross-classified regression models to identify the sociodemographic correlates of VAC underreporting and to assess how the mode and location of survey administration impact disclosure. For aim 2, confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) will be used to test the fit of three VAC models: unidimensional; bifactor; and hierarchical. Multiple-group CFA will further assess measurement equivalence across three countries within one world region. Impact: findings will inform a discrete set of recommendations to improve the precision, validity, and cross-cultural comparability of VAC measures, which will contribute to better VAC surveillance, prevention, and support efforts. Training: this project will strengthen the PI's topical and quantitative expertise in VAC measurement and complex modeling. IT will also form long-lasting research partnerships, laying the groundwork for future projects and collaborations. Formal training and dissemination activities, as well as the support of a strong and highly successful mentorship team, will enable the next steps in the PI's career as an independent researcher in the field of violence measurement and epidemiology.