We are looking for participants to take part in an new research project that explores the experiences of victim-survivors of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA) around their accessing and receiving support from professionals and relevant services.
As part of the study, participant will take part in an interview (lasting no more than 90 minutes) on their experiences of accessing and receiving support from professionals and relevant services following technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TACSA). Please note that the study does NOT focus on the TACSA itself.
Anna Balmer, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Edinburgh, is leading this research. To express an interest in taking part in the study, please get in touch with the Marie Collins Foundation at mhinton@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk or Anna (the lead researcher) at A.Balmer-3@sms.ed.ac.uk.
But before you decide whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the study is being conducted and what it will involve. Please take the time to read the following information.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences of victim-survivors around accessing and receiving support from a range of professionals and relevant services following experiences of TA-CSA, through inviting them to take part in a 1:1 interview. The focus of the interview will be on victim-survivors’ experiences of being supported by professionals and relevant services, and seeking and receiving help from them. The focus of the interview will not be on the nature of or any details around their experiences of TA-CSA.
Do I have to take part and what happens if I change my mind?
Taking part in the study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you are free to change your mind and may withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. You will be able to withdraw your data up until two weeks after your interview, without having to give a reason or explanation. Deciding not to take part or withdrawing from the study will not affect your medical care or legal rights. If you wish to withdraw from the study, please contact Anna (the lead researcher) via email (see further details below).
What will happen if I decide to take part?
If you do decide to take part, please keep this Information Sheet. You will be asked to complete a consent form to show that you understand your rights in relation to the research, and that you are happy to participate. If completing the interview in person, you will be asked to sign the consent form and return it to Anna prior to the interview. If completing the interview online, you will be emailed a consent form and asked to return a completed copy to Anna by email.
You will be invited to take part in a 1:1 interview with Anna where you will be asked a number of questions about your experiences of accessing and receiving support from a range of professionals and relevant services following TA-CSA. The interview may take place in person at a location of your choice/preference, or via MS Teams, and will last between 60-90 minutes. We would like to audio-record your responses (and will require your consent for this). If there are any questions you do not wish to answer, that is absolutely fine. We will not be collecting any personal information, merely your age range and sexual identity.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There are no direct benefits of taking part in the study for you. However, contributing to the study will further develop our understanding of the quality of support and help received by victim-survivors from professionals and relevant services following experiences of TA-CSA. This will enable us to put forward practical recommendations to professionals and relevant services to inform and improve the way they respond to and support victim-survivors of TA-CSA.
Are there any risks associated with taking part?
There are no risks associated with taking part in the study. Of course, we acknowledge that reflecting back to what it was like receiving possibly poor support from professionals and relevant services following experiences of TA-CSA may be difficult and upsetting. We will be there to support you through the interview, and you may always take breaks or stop the interview if you do not wish to continue. A member of the Marie Collins Foundation (www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk) will also be available to you after the interview for a check-in and to support you. In addition, should you wish to speak to someone else, we encourage you to get in touch with any of the following organisations:
Victim Support
Telephone: 0808 16 89 111
Live chat: victimsupport.org.uk/live-chat
My Support Space: mysupportspace.org.uk/MoJ
Website: www.victimsupport.org.uk
Rape Crisis Helpline and Live Chat
Telephone: 0808 802 9999
Live chat: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/want-to-talk/
Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk
The Survivors Trust
Telephone: 08088 010818
Email: info@thesurvivorstrust.org
Website: www.thesurvivorstrust.org
National Male Survivor Helpline and Online Service
Telephone: 0808 800 5005
Email: support@safeline.org.uk
Text: 07860 065187
Live chat: https://www.safeline.org.uk/contact-us
Website: www.safeline.org.uk
Galop (for members of the LGBT+ community)
Telephone: 0800 999 5428
Email: help@galop.org.uk
Website: https://galop.org.uk/
NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood)
Telephone: 0808 801 0331
Email: support@napac.org.uk
Website: https://napac.org.uk/
Will my information be kept confidential and how will it be used?
No personally identifying information will be collected as part of the interview. The audio recording, and subsequent transcript, will be assigned a participant number or pseudonym, with the audio recording deleted once the interview has been transcribed. No one other than Anna (the lead researcher) will know which audio recording, and subsequent transcript, relates to which participant. The interview data will be analysed individually, and themes/patterns across participants presented in any write-up of the findings. While quotes may be used to illustrate and support our findings, they will merely be referred to as coming from Participant 1, 2, 3, etc. The consent form will be the only record that contains your full name. All consent forms will be stored securely and separately from the research data.
You can find out more about how we use your information by:
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visiting the relevant website of the University of Edinburgh (https://www.ed.ac.uk/records-management/privacy-notice-research)
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asking a member of staff at the Marie Collins Foundation
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asking one of the research team by sending an email to Anna at A.Balmer-3@sms.ed.ac.uk or her research supervisor, Juliane, at juliane.kloess@ed.ac.uk
The University of Edinburgh is the sponsor for this study based in the United Kingdom. We will be using information from you in order to undertake this study, and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it appropriately. The University of Edinburgh will keep identifiable information about you until September 2025 and your anonymised data for a minimum of 5 years.
What are my choices about how my information is used?
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You can withdraw from the study at any time up to two weeks following the interview, without having to give any reason, and without you being negatively impacted in any way or there being any negative consequences for you. Any information we may have collected from you up to that point in time will be destroyed. Please note that you will not be able to withdraw from the study after two weeks following the interview, as data processing and analysis will have commenced.
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We need to manage research data in specific ways for the research to be reliable. This means that we will not be able to let you see or change the data we hold about you, unless you wish to withdraw from the study, and have expressed this within the two-week period following the interview by emailing Anna (the lead researcher).
What will happen with the results of the study?
The study’s findings will be written up in the form of a report for the Marie Collins Foundation, and may also be presented within an academic publication or conference talk. They will also form part of Anna’s doctorate thesis. You will not be identifiable from any published results. Quotes or key findings will always be made anonymous in any formal outputs. With your consent, your anonymised information may also be kept for future ethically approved research. A summary of the findings from the study will be made available to participants who indicate that they would like to receive this. This summary will be sent to participants via email to the email address they specified on their consent form.
Who is organising and funding the study?
This study is being organised and undertaken by Anna Balmer, under the supervision of Dr Juliane Kloess, and sponsored by the University of Edinburgh.
Who has reviewed the study?
The study proposal has been reviewed by the School of Health in Social Science’s ethics committee at the University of Edinburgh.
Who can I contact if I wish to speak to someone about the study?
If you have any questions about the study, please contact one of the members of the research team:
Anna Balmer (lead researcher): A.Balmer-3@sms.ed.ac.uk
Dr Juliane Kloess (supervisor & Lecturer in Forensic Clinical Psychology): juliane.kloess@ed.ac.uk
OR
If you wish to contact an independent representative within the University of Edinburgh, who is outside of the research team, to ask any questions, please contact Dr Helen Griffiths, the Programme Director of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: helen.griffiths@ed.ac.uk
If you wish to voice any concerns or make a formal complaint, please contact Professor Matthias Schwannauer, the Head of School of Health in Social Science: headofschool.health@ed.ac.uk
What happens next?
Thank you for reading this Information Sheet. To express an interest in taking part in the study, please get in touch with the Marie Collins Foundation at mhinton@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk or Anna (the lead researcher) at A.Balmer-3@sms.ed.ac.uk.