Domain and item definition for ethical reporting
| Domain | No | Item | Description of criteria |
| Institutional Review Board (IRB) | 1 | Reports ethical clearance from an IRB? | Any mention of IRB clearance is recorded as ‘Yes.’ While ideally some studies would have both national and international IRB clearance, this requirement is variable based on location and institutional affiliation of authors. In addition, although national IRB is expected at a minimum, some countries do not have functioning, appropriate IRBs during periods of conflict or depending on disciplinary focus of the study. An international IRB is often preferred, in addition to national IRB, however this would only be sought if at least one coauthor is resident outside the country of study. As all studies collect primary data, there should be no IRB exemptions, therefore statements asserting ethical clearance is not needed are treated as ‘No’. |
| Interviewer selection, training and support | 2 | Reports how appropriate interviewers were selected? | This includes prior experience working on similar topics, with specific qualifications (eg, health or social workers), same-sex interviewers, checks on interviewer criminal records, checks with law enforcement, etc (recorded as NA if web-based). |
| 3 | Reports undertaking a dedicated training of interviewers to collect violence data? | Must be beyond general ethics training, to include in-depth modules or specialised trainers/training to equip interviewers to deal with topic with greater sensitivity, confidentiality, respond to adverse events, etc (reported as NA if web-based). | |
| 4 | Mention support in place to protect safety and health of the study team to avoid vicarious trauma? | This could include debriefs, periodic check-ins or support for adverse events experienced via provision of services or counselling (reported as NA if web-based). | |
| Sampling and engaging with respondents | 5 | Describes how sampling was designed to support participant safety? | Includes specific actions such as sampling only one person per household, split-sample approaches, safe/secure devices as an inclusion criteria (for remote surveys), screening approaches for web-surveys to support safety, participant-driven sampling approaches and data security approaches if survivors are purposefully sampled. Must go beyond random sampling or snowball sampling to explain why this was the safest approach taken and safety considerations within these approaches. |
| 6 | Explains informed consent was obtained or the informed consent procedure? | Explicitly mentions informed consent was obtained, consent was sought or explains participants were told their participation is voluntary, the general content of questions and that they are able to stop the interview at any time. For violence in particular, additional components could include safety protocols in approaching participants, and if graduated consent was implemented or the true intent of the study was not disclosed until interviewers were alone with the participant. | |
| 7 | For samples focused on interviewing minors: explains process for or waiver of (1) parent/guardian consent and (2) minor assent? | For surveys focused on interviewing minors (0–17 years): explains precautions or processes taken in the informed consent/assent process. This could include requests for waivers of parental/guardian consent (if applicable) (NA if the sample does not focus on VAC measures and target minors). | |
| 8 | Mentions if participation incentives and/or reimbursement for time were given? | Mentions if participants were given any compensation, incentive or benefits for participating in the data collection, including in-kind (eg, air time, soap) or monetary (eg, mobile money, small payment). Alternatively, mentions if no participant incentive was given. | |
| 9 | Reports actions taken to obtain privacy and ensure participant safety during the interview/data collection? | Reports on at least one specific action taken to ensure participant privacy and/or safety. Privacy actions could include ensuring participants are interviewed out of listening range of other individuals, or for phone surveys, instructing participant to turn off speaker phone or find a private place to talk at the beginning of the interview. For web-based surveys, indicating script messages were provided at the start of the survey to instruct the participant to complete the survey alone, a protocol or instructions for if privacy is lost or mentioning how challenges of shared technology (computers, phones) and shared access to messages, webpages and texts were considered or dealt with. Safety actions could include periodic safety checks, option to end survey if participants need to quickly exit or drop the call, implementing a safe word for interviewers to understand safety was compromised remotely, describing steps taken to reduce participant distress or increase comfort during the interview itself. This must go beyond informed consent procedures which may generally tell participants that they can exit the interview at any time if they wish. | |
| 10 | Reports whether feedback was collected from respondents on their participation experience? | Includes questions which attempt to assess if the participant felt comfortable answering the questions, had feedback on the interview process, felt safe during the data collection or if they incurred distress, emotional or other repercussions. | |
| Referrals and adverse events | 11 | Reports providing respondents with referral information, ideally deidentified to maintain privacy and modified to assure services are available during COVID-19? | Includes a reference to standard practice or protocols providing participants with the option of obtaining additional information, assistance to counselling or specialised services, often via a hotline/helpline or physical cards with contact information (ideally all participants regardless of disclosure of violence). As physical cards carry a risk if perpetrators uncover this information—cards are typically deidentified, without clear information as to their purpose, and participants should be warned of this risk. An assessment of if services were functioning or available during COVID-19 lockdowns could accompany this information. |
| 12 | Mention actions taken, an adverse event protocol or response plan for acute cases where participants or family members require short-term follow-up, suitable to be implemented during COVID-19? | Includes mention of how teams identified or addressed cases where participants or family members were in immediate danger or in need of active assistance in accessing services, including facilitating services directly contacting individuals within a short time span (eg, 24 or 48 hours), providing immediate transport to services or conducting a safety follow-up check (via phone or in person). Includes description of protections for individual identifying information and data security issues in cases of disclosure to third parties in monitoring of follow-up to services. Good practice includes monitoring to ensure cases of adverse events and risks are counted, addressed and actioned in a timely manner. | |
| 13 | For samples focused on interviewing minors and measuring VAC, or targeting people with disabilities: report to what extent and how referrals and help seeking were facilitated? | For samples focused on interviewing minors (0–17 years) and measuring VAC, or targeting people with disabilities: gives additional information on how referrals and help-seeking were facilitated, including help in making calls, transport or accessing information (NA if the sample does not focus on VAC measures and target minors, or does not target people with disabilities). | |
| 14 | For samples focused on interviewing minors and/or measuring VAC: report if and how mandatory reporting laws were considered or followed? | For samples focused on interviewing minors (0–17 years) and/or measuring VAC: includes mention of how confidentiality might be limited based on mandatory reporting laws, what steps were actively taken to address (obtain waivers) or comply with law, or why the study is exempt from or does not have to consider these issues (NA if the sample does not focus on VAC measures and target minors). |
All studies were assessed drawing on published information in the main article or online supplemental material, rather than reviewing additional cited material.
NA, not applicable; VAC, violence against children.