Framework for Nordic youth surveys on child sexual abuse and exposure to violence outside and in the family.

In June 2007 the Danish Crime Prevention Council (Det Kriminalpræventive Råd, DKR) engaged a group of Nordic researchers in a dialogue on the feasibility of setting up a framework for future surveys on violence and sexual abuse during childhood and early adolescence.

The major objective was to promote research networking in order to create a basis for comparable studies in the five Nordic countries as a part of a joint Nordic project on violence "Violence and its reduction in the Nordic countries" (Våld och våldsreducering i Norden). Thereby, a solid foundation for prevention of sexual abuse and other violence against children would be achieved.

By establishing a research network for a youth survey in different aspects of child violence in the Nordic countries, the aim was to encourage a joint Nordic framework.

The Nordic researchers have agreed upon a survey model that may describe the current prevalence and character of child abuse and have tried to ensure future joint research projects on risk factors of child violence and abuse in the different Nordic countries based on comparable data.

The present report describes the planning of a framework for youth surveys. In the report is documented the background for setting up school based youth surveys and the decisions taken by a working group.