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What risk does experiencing polyvictimisation violence in early life carry into the formation of adult relationships? That’s one of the many questions Chief Investigator Professor Jane Fisher, Partner Investigator, Dr Annie Crookes at University of South Pacific in Fiji and Research Fellow Dr Revathi N Krishna are seeking answers for through their current research in Fiji to implement real change.

With the help of our partners in the region, Professor Fisher and Dr Krishna has cast their net far and wide, canvassing 800 students in their final year of high school to survey their experiences of violence in all forms – not just at school, but also previously in their life, outside, at home, in public spaces, and online. The prospective study will see the workstream follow and examine the individuals and their experiences of violence in all forms across two years in a “three-wave survey”. The aim is to gain further understanding of the correlation between violence in early life and the formation of adult relationships, so that implementations can take place to stop patterned behaviour, the pair say. 

The technical term for experiencing multiple forms of violence is polyvicimisation, Professor Fisher explains, in which limited study has been conducted in Australia. “One of things emerging from the systemic reviews is while some [of these] forms of violence are investigated, a whole lot of others are not even inquired into,” she said. “So it’s really trying to make sure that the major knowledge gap is filled.”

CEVAW’s partners in Fiji have approached schools, with permission from the Ministry of Education, which the pair said was a “big job” that comes with multiple limitations. “Many of the schools don’t have strong internet access or access to technology, so everything is done on paper,” Dr Krishna said. “It’s a big job getting these out to islands, getting them back securely and then the data entered.”  Additionally, parental consent is needed for students to take part in the surveys, which they both described as another major barrier. “In some places [in Fiji] it seems that quite a lot of students have got that consent, but in most its fewer than 40 per cent, which is a significant barrier,” said Professor Fisher. 

The team will follow up with the young people in two year’s time to see how life has changed for them and what their experiences with violence are. While some questions will remain the same, some questions will change to appropriately ask their current life situations. “That’s a complete knowledge gap,” emphasised Professor Fisher.  In terms of the data the team is collecting now, once completed they are all sealed in an individual envelope – they’re completed anonymously – and there is a separate form where they will provide some contact details for us to follow them up. The data has to be entered manually as a double-entry process, which will happen at the University of South Pacific.

Professor Fisher acknowledges that this kind of work “takes a long time”. But they are making advances in terms of understanding “what knowledge there is and what knowledge there isn’t,” she says. “That’s the impact, both on the countries we are partnering with and the field.” 

So what’s the end goal?

“We’ll be able to understand what risk experiencing violence in early life carries for the formation of adult relationships. And what seems to be the pattern here, is if you’ve experienced violence in childhood, you’re more likely to experience violence and adulthood compared to someone who’s not experienced violence,” said Professor Fisher. 

“We want to know what would have helped, and then use that to inform public policies – whether it’s changes in child protection, access to kids’ helplines, parenting education or violence in schools perpetrated by teachers.” 

“If we can influence those policies, by demonstrating the harm that it does, that becomes a very powerful mechanism,” she added. 

“I think that’s our hope.”