Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
My name is Kate Sieber. I am a MA Social Work Student at Goldsmiths University. I am here to ask whether you would consider helping me with a small-scale research project that I am conducting.
I am preparing to conduct research into the factors that promote resilience in survivors of child sexual abuse. I want to conduct an online focus group. I am particularly interested in adult survivors’ perspectives on factors that they feel have supported the development of resilience.
The following will give you a short overview of how you can help me with this study. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information. Do not hesitate to talk about the study with other people.
Why am I doing this research?.
I have known survivors of Child Sexual Abuse both personally and professionally and I know that people’s reactions to this experience are as diverse as the people it happens to. I want to find out more about how survivors of Child Sexual Abuse can achieve resilience and what can help to encourage survivors to become thrivers.
Resilience is the idea that people can ‘do well’, in some sense in spite of having experienced a form of ‘stress’ which in the population as a whole is known to carry a substantial risk of an adverse outcome. There exists already a body of research about factors that can encourage or promote resilience but little of this is focused on Child Sexual Abuse and even less gives voice to survivors themselves.
I would like to conduct an exploratory study with adult survivors of Child Sexual Abuse retrospectively identifying factors within themselves, in their interactions and relationships with other people or in the greater society that have encouraged them to reject negative coping strategies and contributed to their sense of well-being.
My hope is that in gathering these views I will be able to contribute to the field knowledge about what survivors need from those supporting them and the society that they live in. I also hope to inform my own practice as I continue to work to protect children from harm.
Who can take part?
I am inviting any members of Havoca who have experienced Child Sexual Abuse. I understand that members of this board will have experienced multiple types of abuse and whilst I do not wish to silence anyone wishing to discuss their experience, I am afraid for the purposes of my research I am limiting my scope to sexual abuse.
What would be involved?
Online focus group
I would like you to take part in an online focus group discussion. Jamie has kindly agreed to a dedicated group within the forum where this discussion can take place. This will be a private area of the board which only participants, moderators of the website and myself will be able to access.
I will provide some initial questions to begin discussion, but my hope is that as a group you will then develop the discussion to include the information you want to discuss. The point of this research is to give you a voice. My intention is not to focus on the experience of the abuse, although I understand that this might form part of the discussion, but rather to focus on the other elements of your life experience that have brought you to the point that you are now at.
I will also ask you to provide some contextual information about your gender age, ethnicity, your age at the time of the abuse and ask yourself to rate yourself on a scale relating to how positively adjusted you consider yourself. It is entirely your choice as to whether you include this information in a post to the group, in a private message to myself or whether you choose not to provide this information. I will be using this information in my analysis to help to discover any similarilities or differences between participants experience and hypothesize possible explanations for these.
In-depth interview
This part of the research is offered only to those participants who feel that they would like to discuss this issue in further depth. I will offer all participants in the focus group the opportunity to meet with me for a face-to-face interview to follow on from the focus group discussion. These interviews would be at Goldsmiths University, London, with further details to be negotiated with yourself. This part of the research is entirely optional and there is no pressure on those involved in the focus group to take up the offer. Unfortunately I am not in a position to offer travel expenses to participants.
What will I do with the information?
I will transcribe the focus group discussion and any in-depth interviews. The transcripts will only be read and used by me and not be used for any other purpose. The information from these discussions will be the basis of my MA dissertation which will be assessed in order for me to gain an MA qualification of social work. You are welcome to see the final dissertation which will be submitted to Goldsmiths University at the beginning of September 2011.
Will everything you say to me be kept private?
You can say as little or as much as you wish. The transcript will be kept in a secure place. I am not asking that you provide any identifying information but any that is disclosed will be removed from information included in the dissertation. In the transcript of the focus group I will change the profile names of those involved. In the transcript of any subsequent interview your name as well as those people who you mention will be changed so you will not be identifiable.
What if you change your mind about taking part?
If you decide to take part then this is your voluntary decision, therefore you are also free to withdraw from the study at any point you wish, without giving a reason.
When will the research begin and how long will it last?
The discussion group will go live on the 23rd May 2011 at 9am. Any willing volunteers may then access the group for a period of 2-3 weeks, during which you may return as many times as you like to contribute to the discussion. After this period of 2-3 weeks discussion I will be taking a transcript of the group discussion for the purposes of my research. I will at this point offer participants the opportunity to meet me for the in-depth interviews, which I will be able to conduct until the 15th July 2011.
Many Thanks for your time
Kate Sieber.
I am preparing to conduct research into the factors that promote resilience in survivors of child sexual abuse. I want to conduct an online focus group. I am particularly interested in adult survivors’ perspectives on factors that they feel have supported the development of resilience.
The following will give you a short overview of how you can help me with this study. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information. Do not hesitate to talk about the study with other people.
Why am I doing this research?.
I have known survivors of Child Sexual Abuse both personally and professionally and I know that people’s reactions to this experience are as diverse as the people it happens to. I want to find out more about how survivors of Child Sexual Abuse can achieve resilience and what can help to encourage survivors to become thrivers.
Resilience is the idea that people can ‘do well’, in some sense in spite of having experienced a form of ‘stress’ which in the population as a whole is known to carry a substantial risk of an adverse outcome. There exists already a body of research about factors that can encourage or promote resilience but little of this is focused on Child Sexual Abuse and even less gives voice to survivors themselves.
I would like to conduct an exploratory study with adult survivors of Child Sexual Abuse retrospectively identifying factors within themselves, in their interactions and relationships with other people or in the greater society that have encouraged them to reject negative coping strategies and contributed to their sense of well-being.
My hope is that in gathering these views I will be able to contribute to the field knowledge about what survivors need from those supporting them and the society that they live in. I also hope to inform my own practice as I continue to work to protect children from harm.
Who can take part?
I am inviting any members of Havoca who have experienced Child Sexual Abuse. I understand that members of this board will have experienced multiple types of abuse and whilst I do not wish to silence anyone wishing to discuss their experience, I am afraid for the purposes of my research I am limiting my scope to sexual abuse.
What would be involved?
Online focus group
I would like you to take part in an online focus group discussion. Jamie has kindly agreed to a dedicated group within the forum where this discussion can take place. This will be a private area of the board which only participants, moderators of the website and myself will be able to access.
I will provide some initial questions to begin discussion, but my hope is that as a group you will then develop the discussion to include the information you want to discuss. The point of this research is to give you a voice. My intention is not to focus on the experience of the abuse, although I understand that this might form part of the discussion, but rather to focus on the other elements of your life experience that have brought you to the point that you are now at.
I will also ask you to provide some contextual information about your gender age, ethnicity, your age at the time of the abuse and ask yourself to rate yourself on a scale relating to how positively adjusted you consider yourself. It is entirely your choice as to whether you include this information in a post to the group, in a private message to myself or whether you choose not to provide this information. I will be using this information in my analysis to help to discover any similarilities or differences between participants experience and hypothesize possible explanations for these.
In-depth interview
This part of the research is offered only to those participants who feel that they would like to discuss this issue in further depth. I will offer all participants in the focus group the opportunity to meet with me for a face-to-face interview to follow on from the focus group discussion. These interviews would be at Goldsmiths University, London, with further details to be negotiated with yourself. This part of the research is entirely optional and there is no pressure on those involved in the focus group to take up the offer. Unfortunately I am not in a position to offer travel expenses to participants.
What will I do with the information?
I will transcribe the focus group discussion and any in-depth interviews. The transcripts will only be read and used by me and not be used for any other purpose. The information from these discussions will be the basis of my MA dissertation which will be assessed in order for me to gain an MA qualification of social work. You are welcome to see the final dissertation which will be submitted to Goldsmiths University at the beginning of September 2011.
Will everything you say to me be kept private?
You can say as little or as much as you wish. The transcript will be kept in a secure place. I am not asking that you provide any identifying information but any that is disclosed will be removed from information included in the dissertation. In the transcript of the focus group I will change the profile names of those involved. In the transcript of any subsequent interview your name as well as those people who you mention will be changed so you will not be identifiable.
What if you change your mind about taking part?
If you decide to take part then this is your voluntary decision, therefore you are also free to withdraw from the study at any point you wish, without giving a reason.
When will the research begin and how long will it last?
The discussion group will go live on the 23rd May 2011 at 9am. Any willing volunteers may then access the group for a period of 2-3 weeks, during which you may return as many times as you like to contribute to the discussion. After this period of 2-3 weeks discussion I will be taking a transcript of the group discussion for the purposes of my research. I will at this point offer participants the opportunity to meet me for the in-depth interviews, which I will be able to conduct until the 15th July 2011.
Many Thanks for your time
Kate Sieber.
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
I don't mind helping you out as this must be so hard to get participants for! xx
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Sounds like very important work.
Count me in! I'm from the States, though.....not sure if that's okay.
I'm very glad to help in any way I can.
Warmly,
D
Count me in! I'm from the States, though.....not sure if that's okay.
I'm very glad to help in any way I can.
Warmly,
D
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Thank you!!
I'm really grateful to each of you to for agreeing to take part.
The idea is for the group to go live on monday, so we have a chance for a few more people to see the information before it gets going.
I'm really grateful to each of you to for agreeing to take part.
The idea is for the group to go live on monday, so we have a chance for a few more people to see the information before it gets going.
- Jamie
- Trustee
- Posts: 9136
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 7:12 pm
- Location: North Wales, UK
- Has thanked: 256 times
- Been thanked: 1387 times
- Contact:
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Once its live you'll be added to a group that allows you access to the Private Forum area to conduct your discussions. You'll know when you have been added to the group because your username will go the same colour as Kates.
Like Kate has said there is still opportunity for more people to volunteer so feel free to add your names below...
Like Kate has said there is still opportunity for more people to volunteer so feel free to add your names below...
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Okay, I want to double-check the time with you.
Since I am in the States, my time is 5 hours earlier than yours, so I need to be available on my computer at 4:00 in the morning.
Am I correct?
I can do that, but need to be sure I'm got the time right.
Thanks!!
Since I am in the States, my time is 5 hours earlier than yours, so I need to be available on my computer at 4:00 in the morning.
Am I correct?
I can do that, but need to be sure I'm got the time right.
Thanks!!
- I_Will_Remember_You
- New Member
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 9:03 am
- Jamie
- Trustee
- Posts: 9136
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 7:12 pm
- Location: North Wales, UK
- Has thanked: 256 times
- Been thanked: 1387 times
- Contact:
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
I don't think so JB - the discussion group goes live but it is still part of the forum so you contribute to the discussion as and when. I'm sure Kate will jump in and correct me if I'm wrong but I think the idea is Kate will start the discussion via some questions and then just let the group develop their ideas etc.JellyBean wrote:Okay, I want to double-check the time with you.
Since I am in the States, my time is 5 hours earlier than yours, so I need to be available on my computer at 4:00 in the morning.
Am I correct?
I can do that, but need to be sure I'm got the time right.
Thanks!!
Hope that helps
- charlies angel
- HAVOCA Sponsor
- Posts: 8213
- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:23 am
- Been thanked: 31 times
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Oh, thanks, Jamie!
I get it.......she'll start the discussion, and we can go there and discuss at a later time.
(I'm sort of glad I don't have to get up at 4 in the morning!.....)
I get it.......she'll start the discussion, and we can go there and discuss at a later time.
(I'm sort of glad I don't have to get up at 4 in the morning!.....)
Re: Volunteers needed for small-scale research project
Thanks Jamie,
Yeah that's absolutely right. No-one has to be logged on at 9am on Monday, that's just when the group will be open, people can come and go as they please.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered so far, I don't underestimate how much it takes to reflect on your own experience and I'm really grateful that you feel able to do it for my research.
Yeah that's absolutely right. No-one has to be logged on at 9am on Monday, that's just when the group will be open, people can come and go as they please.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered so far, I don't underestimate how much it takes to reflect on your own experience and I'm really grateful that you feel able to do it for my research.