Despite a growing recognition that children and young people experience harm in their romantic relationships, young people’s voices are rarely heard in research on teenage relationship abuse (TRA), including on how to undertake such research with young people with lived experience.

Involving Young People in Research on Abuse: Young People’s Perspectives is a short report from VISION Research Fellows Polina Obolenskaya and Annie Bunce and colleagues that draws on the perspectives of four young people (aged 18 to 25). These views were expressed during an online workshop as a result of having experienced harmful relationships when they were 13 to 16 years old.

Thematic analysis identified five key themes from their discussions:

1. Participating in research has psychological and practical benefits for young people but they still appreciate remuneration;
2. It is important to reach out to as many young people as possible to broaden knowledge and perspectives of teenage relationship abuse;
3. Researchers’ use of language around teenage relationship abuse is vital for involving young people in a meaningful way and for research quality;
4. Providing choice, safety and clarity helps encourage young people to get involved and maintain their engagement in the research process;
5. It is important to young people that they are kept informed about how their voices are shaping the research and driving change.

The report concludes with some practical recommendations for researchers.

To download the article: Involving Young People in Research on Abuse: Young People’s Perspectives

To download the infographic: Infographic_Involving young people in research on abuse

To cite: Obolenskaya, P., Bunce, A., Balachandran, I., Balachandran, M., Beat, E., and Waller, K (2026), Involving Young People in Research on Abuse: Young People’s Perspectives. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=7570338 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7570338

For further information: contact Polina at polina.obolenskaya@citystgeorges.ac.uk

Illustration provided by Polina Obolenskaya