Ethics and Safeguarding Guidance for Abstract Submissions

Ethics and Safeguarding Guidance for Abstract Submissions

SVRI Forum is committed to care, safety, and responsible research practice. Because many submissions involve people affected by violence, research studies must have ethics approval or a documented exemption from an authorised body. Where formal ethics approval is not available or possible, the scientific committee may look for a clear description of the steps taken to protect participants, including informed consent, confidentiality, risk management, and referral pathways.
This page outlines what you need to know before submitting your abstract for Forum 2026.

  1. Ethics requirements for abstracts

When submitting a research abstract for SVRI Forum through Oxford Abstracts, you will be asked whether your study has ethics approval.

Ethics approval is expected before data collection begins for any study involving human participants (interviews, surveys, focus groups, observation), for example:

  • Survivors or people at risk of violence.
  • Children or adolescents.
  • Perpetration of VAW/VAC and men who use violence.
  • Administrative or programme data that could identify individuals.
  1. Why ethics review matters for SVRI Forum

Research on violence against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC), and other forms of GBV carries heightened responsibilities. Ethics review helps ensure:

  • Voluntary, informed participation.
  • Safety and emotional wellbeing.
  • Protection of confidentiality and privacy.
  • Appropriate referral and support pathways.
  • Responsible handling of sensitive data.

These principles reflect global guidance from WHO, UNICEF, and CIOMS (see reference list at the end).

  1. When ethics approval is required

You should expect to need ethics approval or a formal exemption if your abstract involves:

  • Primary data collection: Including interviews, focus groups, surveys (online or in person), observations, participatory or co-created research.
  • Research with children or adolescents: All studies involving minors require ethics review.
  • Research involving survivors or people at risk: Including work with people experiencing IPV, sexual violence, child abuse, exploitation, trafficking, conflict-related violence, or other high-risk contexts.
  • Research involving perpetrators: Including evaluations of programmes with men who use violence and studies in correctional or judicial settings.
  • Use of identifiable or sensitive programme data: Including case records, clinic data, hotline logs, or NGO programme databases, even if partially anonymised.
  • Pilot or feasibility studies: Pilot work involving people also requires ethics oversight.
  • Digital and online research: Including online surveys, identifiable social media data, or research in closed/controlled digital spaces.
  1. When ethics approval may not be required

Some types of work may be exempt, although exemption should be confirmed where possible:

  • Systematic, scoping, or narrative reviews using published literature.
  • Conceptual, theoretical, or methodological papers without new human data.
  • Policy or document analysis using only public information.
  • Secondary use of fully anonymised, publicly available datasets.
  • Aggregated programme statistics with no individual-level information.

Because VAW/VAC data are highly sensitive, exemptions are narrow and should be used cautiously.

  1. What we will ask in the abstract form

You will be asked to indicate:

  1. Ethics status
    • Yes (approval granted)
    • No
    • Not applicable

Abstracts involving high-risk work without appropriate ethics procedures may not be accepted.

  1. Ethics and safeguarding for non-research abstracts

Practice, arts-based, or storytelling sessions may not involve formal research, however, presenters are expected to:

  • Protect the dignity, privacy, and safety of individuals
  • Obtain consent where people are identifiable
  • Avoid sharing information that may put participants at risk
  • Provide support or referral options where relevant

Additional information may be requested for sessions involving personal testimonies.

  1. Key resources
  1. Questions?

If you are unsure how to categorise your ethics process, please contact the SVRI Forum 2026 team at forums@svri.org.

Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities

The Forum represents more than just a conference. It’s a global movement to end violence against women, violence against children, and other intersecting forms of gender-based violence through evidence-based action.

We are raising funds to ensure that SVRI Forum 2026 remains accessible, inclusive, and influential in shaping the global response to violence against women and violence against children..

See the SVRI Forum 2026 fundraising package here
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