Conceptualizing and Measuring Violence: A Feminist Critical Measurement Analysis of Gender-Based Violence Research in a Government Policy-Based Setting.

This is a methodological critique of feminist approaches to measuring gender-based violence in policy research. The article examines the UK government's 2021 strategy consultation, identifying problems with how violence is conceptualized and measured in surveys. It applies intersectional feminist perspectives to propose better research practices for policy-based violence research. The work is primarily about research methodology rather than child well-being outcomes.

Key points

• Feminist methodological advances in gender-based violence research have not been adequately integrated into government policy-based research
• The analysis identifies methodological concerns with conceptualizations of violence in the UK's 2021 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy
• Problems exist with how public experiences, attitudes, and opinions about violence are measured in surveys
• Intersectional feminist perspectives are applied as a lens for critical measurement analysis
• The article proposes feminist research practices to improve accuracy and support feminist goals in policy-based violence research

Limitations

This is a methodological critique focused on research design and measurement practices rather than evaluation of an intervention or measurement of outcomes for children. It does not provide empirical data on the prevalence or impact of violence on specific child populations.