The Sexual Violence Research Podcast

SVRI
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Biweekly

A podcast from the SVRI, the Sexual Violence Research Initiative. Our vision is to see a world free of violence against women and violence against children. Hear from expert guests as we discover how to make that vision a reality. Donate here: http://svri.org/content/donate-0

  1. 3d ago

    S5E8 Measuring Violence in a Digital World: Are Our Methods Keeping Up?

    From technology-facilitated gender-based violence to harms enabled by artificial intelligence, the digital landscape is evolving quickly - but are the systems we use to measure and understand that violence keeping pace? In this episode, we explore what it means to measure violence in the digital world, and what can be missed when some forms of harm are easier to detect and quantify than others. We discuss the challenges of capturing context and language in digital spaces, the limitations of existing approaches to measuring technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and how artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for detecting, understanding and governing online harms. Your host is: Ayesha Mago, Global Advocacy Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) This episode’s guests are: Tarunima Prabhakar, Research and Project Lead at Tattle Selamawit Engida Abdella, Researcher at the Global Center on AI Governance 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ What we should measure when it comes to digital violence ➡︎ Why some forms of digital violence are easier to measure ➡︎ How language and context affect how digital harms are detected ➡︎ How AI is changing digital violence ➡︎ New challenges for measuring and governing digital harms  🌍Learn more about the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Elizabeth Dartnall 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production   Resources: Chayn Research - https://reports.chayn.co/  Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) - https://www.global-index.ai/  - Browne, Jude, and others (eds), Feminist AI: Critical Perspectives on Algorithms, Data, and Intelligent Machines (Oxford, 2023; online edn, Oxford Academic, 23 Nov. 2023), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192889898.001.0001, accessed 23 Sept. 2026. - Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Ethiopia, CIR: https://www.info-res.org/tfgbv-in-ethiopia/ - Data Workers' Inquiry: https://data-workers.org/  - African Hub on AI Safety, Peace and Security: https://ai.uct.ac.za/african-hub-ai-safety-peace-security

  2. Aug 25

    S5E7 Violence in Institutions: Abuse in Sport

    Sport is often celebrated as a path to health, confidence, belonging and opportunity. But for many, it can also be a space where abuse, exploitation and violence occur and are too often minimised or ignored.  In this episode, we explore what abuse in sport really looks like, from harmful coaching practices and emotional abuse to sexual violence and online harassment. We discuss why safeguarding cannot stop at policies and reporting mechanisms, what evidence from survivors and practitioners tells us about prevention, how cultures of silence are maintained within sporting systems, and how sports can be an incredible tool for development and cultural change.  Your host is: Ayesha Mago, Global Advocacy Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) This episode’s guests are: Joanna Maranhão, Olympic Swimmer, and Network Coordinator, Sport & Rights Alliance Roshika Deo, GEDSI and Safeguarding Advisor for Team Up 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ What abuse and violence can look like across different sporting environments ➡︎ Why lasting change requires a shift in culture, not just policy ➡︎ How abuse has been normalised in the pursuit of high performance ➡︎ Why research studies and storytelling are both needed to create meaningful, lasting change 🌍Learn more about the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Elizabeth Dartnall 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production   Resources: Sports & Rights Alliance website UNESCO and the Sport & Rights Alliance’s report, Toward Safe Sport: Policy Recommendations from People Impacted by Violence in Sport  Team Up’s Embedding Feminist Approaches in Sport for Development Team Up’s Safeguarding at Major Sporting Events Toolkit Sport and Dev, the international platform on sport and development UNICEF Resource, Measuring Violence against Children in Organized Sport in Line with the International Classification of Violence against Children

  3. Jul 28

    S5E6 Preventing Human Trafficking Through Research and Action

    Human trafficking is a global human rights violation with devastating consequences for individuals, families and communities. Yet preventing trafficking and supporting survivors requires far more than law enforcement alone. It demands early-prevention, collaboration and survivor leadership. In this episode, we explore how research can drive stronger responses to trafficking in persons, from shaping regional policy to informing community-based programmes. We discuss why a trauma-informed approach is essential for both researchers and practitioners, how survivors can become leaders in research and prevention efforts, and why evidence must be translated into action if we are to strengthen prevention and support systems.  Your host is: Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) This episode’s guests are: Sylvia Namakula, Country Director, Healing and Resilience After Trauma (HaRT) Norma Peña, Sector Lead Specialist at the Citizen Security Division, Inter-American Development Bank  🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ How human trafficking is not only a human rights issue, but also a development and security one ➡︎ The importance of trauma-informed approaches, both for researchers and survivors  ➡︎ How survivor-led research and programming can strengthen prevention and support   ➡︎ Following a trauma-informed approach is not just a question of ethics ➡︎ Why effective responses require much more than law enforcement alone  ➡︎ What is still needed to improve prevention, identification and support for survivors  🌍Sign up for the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Elizabeth Dartnall 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production   Resources: Five Facts you Need to Know about Forced Labor and Human Trafficking Regional Action Guidelines for a Coordinated Response to Trafficking in Persons from the Security and Justice Sector, developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Researching with HaRT: Promoting Researcher Wellbeing Through Self and Collective Care HaRT website  Case Study on Research with HaRT here Standford Human Trafficking Data Lab and Professor Grahan Miller’s research: https://htdatalab.stanford.edu/ IPA Human Trafficking Research Initiative: https://poverty-action.org/research-and-learning-agenda-human-trafficking-research-initiative Professor Cathy Zimmerman’s research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cathy-Zimmerman

  4. Jun 23

    S5E5 Preventing Child Sexual Abuse at Scale: What Does It Take?

    The profound impact of child sexual abuse demands that we prevent it. Yet the evidence base remains thin, and we know even less about how to scale prevention programmes effectively.  In this episode, we explore what it really takes to prevent child sexual abuse at scale. We look at why scaling prevention programmes is so challenging, what it means to maintain quality while expanding reach, and the critical role that governments play in the process. Plus, we explore what lessons can be learnt from organisations who are already successfully scaling interventions to prevent child sexual abuse.  Your host is: Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) This episode’s guests are: Amy Cuffley, Senior Programmes Manager, Spring Impact Raviporn Khumpeerapong, Clinical Psychologist, Peace Culture Foundation 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ What “scaling” actually means in the context of child sexual abuse prevention ➡︎ The challenges of scaling intervention programmes ➡︎ The role of cultural attitudes and social norms in prevention efforts ➡︎ The importance of governments partnerships in enabling scale ➡︎ What the field can learn from organisations already working to scale effectively 🌍Sign up for the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Elizabeth Dartnall 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production   Resources: Report: Preventing child sexual abuse at scale Case Study: Protect Children, Finland Report: The government's view on what nonprofits and funders can do differently

  5. Apr 28

    S5E4 Understanding and Preventing IPV Perpetration Among Adults

    If we are truly committed to preventing intimate partner violence (IPV), we need to understand not only survivors’ experiences, but also the behaviours, pathways, and systems that lead people to use violence in the first place. In this episode, we explore the complex and often challenging field of IPV perpetration prevention, how violent behaviours develop and persist into adulthood, and how economic and structural factors shape patterns of violence. Plus, we ask what it actually takes to support meaningful behaviour change.  We also examine what works in perpetrator intervention programmes, where current approaches fall short, and why measuring “success” in this space remains one of the most difficult challenges in violence prevention research.  Your host is: Ayesha Mago, Global Advocacy Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI)  This episode’s guests are:  Kristin Diemer, Principal Research Fellow and co-lead of the kNOwVAWdata course, at the University of Melbourne Dr Meghna Ranganathan, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine  🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ How violent behaviour in intimate relationships develops and persists over time ➡︎ The relationship between economic stressors, inequality, and IPV perpetration ➡︎ How perpetrators understand, justify, or minimise their behaviour ➡︎ What evidence tells us about behaviour change in perpetrator intervention programmes ➡︎ The challenges of measuring impact in prevention work ➡︎ Why IPV must be understood as both a health issue and a structural issue  🌍Sign up for the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Ayesha Mago. 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production   Resources: Keeping Safe Together: Exploring Men and Women's Experiences of a Pilot “All of Family” Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Melbourne, Australia (2025) The role of men’s behaviour change programs in addressing men’s use of domestic, family and sexual violence: An evidence brief (2025) Perpetrators of domestic, family and sexual violence: Special collection: June 2019 (updated June 2020 (2020) I just felt like I was running around in a circle”: Listening to the voices of victims and perpetrators to transform responses to intimate partner violence (2022)

  6. Mar 31

    S5E3 Preventing Harmful Sexual Behaviour Among Children

    When we think about who perpetrates sexual violence against children, we often picture adults. But, research suggests that a significant proportion of sexual harm against children is committed by other children and young people - and yet this remains an underresearched, underfunded, and frequently misunderstood area of sexual violence prevention. In this episode, we explore what harmful sexual behaviour among children under the age of 18 looks like, what drives it, and why prevention efforts must focus not only on children at risk of experiencing harm, but also those at risk of causing it. We also look at promising approaches  - from school-based programmes to the role of technology, families, and wider systems - in preventing abuse before it happens. And we hear how practitioners strike a careful balance between responding appropriately to harm and avoiding the stigma and shame that can interfere with early intervention and support. Your host is: Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI). This episode’s guests are:  Elizabeth Letourneau - Moore Family Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director, Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Miguel Garcia Egido - Fund Chief at Safe Online 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ What harmful sexual behaviour among children is ➡︎ How these behaviours differ from normal development➡︎ The key drivers and risk factors behind harmful sexual behaviours➡︎ What prevention approaches show promise ➡︎ How technology is shaping risks and solutions 🌍Sign up for the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  📖Pre-Order Elizabeth’s book here ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Ayesha Mago. 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production. Resources: Learn more about Prevention Global Learn more about Safe Online Webinar: Exploring How to Prevent Childhood Sexual Violence by Expanding our Understanding of Perpetration https://www.prevention.global/insight/research-shows-prevalence-reductions-20-ysos https://www.childlight.org/

  7. Mar 3

    S5E2 Missing from the Data: The Invisible Crisis of Sexual Violence Against LGBTQI+ Youth

    LGBTQI+ young people face disproportionate levels of sexual violence and exploitation globally. Yet in many countries, they remain invisible - in health systems, policies, research and prevention programming.  In many parts of the world where same-sex relationships are criminalised, collecting evidence comes with significant risks for these young people who are already facing high levels of stigma and discrimination. In this episode we explore the consequences of this invisibility, how we can gather data that can be used in meaningful ways to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ youth, and how we can build protection systems that give them a voice, whilst safeguarding their rights, dignity and safety. Your host is: Ayesha Mago, Global Advocacy Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI). This episode’s guests are: Nicolas Makharashvili - Director at Safe Futures Hub Stephanie Spaid Miedema - Sociologist and public health scientist 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ Why LGBTQI+ children and youth are often excluded from global research ➡︎ About the ethical and practical challenges of collecting safe, inclusive data.➡︎ How stigma and social norms increase vulnerability to sexual violence.➡︎ Recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners 🌍Sign up for the SVRI Forum 2026 here!  ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Ayesha Mago. 🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production. Resources: Report - Silence Is Not Protection: The Hidden Crisis of Sexual Violence Against LGBTQI+ Children and Youth Report - The future of survey research with the world's sexual or gender minority youth

  8. Jan 27

    S5E1 SVRI Forum 2026: Making space for conversations that matter to end GBV

    In this episode, we take you inside the SVRI Forum - the world’s leading global conference dedicated to research, practice, and action on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality. Hear what makes the SVRI Forum unlike any other event in the field - from its electric energy and interdisciplinary collaboration to its commitment to turning evidence into action. With reflections from those who have attended past Forums, we unpack why the SVRI Forum is a catalyst for learning, connection, and lasting change and why the field cannot do without it.  Your host is: Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI).  This episode’s guests are: Natalie Robi Tingo - East Africa Lead at The Five Foundation, Founder of Msichana Empowerment Kuria, and winner of the SVRI Forum 2022 Best Young Practitioner Award Professor Rozina Karmaliani - Endowed Chair at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University Manisha Mehta - Former Program Director, Women’s Rights Program, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund 🎧 Listen to learn: ➡︎ What makes the SVRI Forum a truly unique global convening in the field of violence prevention. ➡︎ Why bringing research, practice, funding, and lived experience together accelerates impact. ➡︎ What past participants say about the connections, insights, and inspiration they took home. ⚡Follow SVRI on Instagram. 🌐Check out the SVRI website. 🎥 Watch our film on YouTube. 💬 Connect with the SVRI svri@svri.org and our host, Elizabeth Dartnall.  🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production. Resources: Learn more about the forum and secure your spot. Watch highlights from our 2024 Forum.

See All (56)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A podcast from the SVRI, the Sexual Violence Research Initiative. Our vision is to see a world free of violence against women and violence against children. Hear from expert guests as we discover how to make that vision a reality. Donate here: http://svri.org/content/donate-0

Information

You Might Also Like