Qualitative exploratory study conducted in Australia examining gatekeepers' perceived obstacles and enablers to conducting domestic violence research with children, using semi-structured interviews across five stakeholder cohorts.
49 participants (mothers with DV experience, DV service providers, child clinicians, Human Research Ethics Committee members, and DV researchers) identified safety concerns — physical, emotional, psychological, and cultural — plus retraumatization risk as key barriers, while also generating enabling strategies, which were synthesized into the STARR model (Safe, Trauma-Safe, Activity-based, Relational, Rights-based).
- Only gatekeeper and adult stakeholder views were collected; children themselves were not interviewed, so the model is informed by proxy perspectives only. - Single-country sample (Australia) may limit transferability to other cultural or legal contexts. - Constructivist grounded theory relies on researcher interpretation, introducing potential bias.
When planning research or service evaluations that involve children exposed to domestic violence, use a structured framework — such as STARR — that prioritizes trauma-informed safeguarding, child-friendly activity-based methods, and explicit rights-based consent processes. Engage clinicians and ethics boards early to address retraumatization risk.
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