Study title

This study aimed to investigate adolescent's cognitive processes and their thoughts and feelings when answering the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool - ICAST-C. This study used face-to-face semi-structured cognitive interviews, employing a combination of think aloud, structured and spontaneous verbal probing, and observations. The sample in this study consisted of 53 adolescents aged 10-17 years across three contexts. Interviews were conducted with 17 participants in Romania, 20 participants in South Africa, and 16 participants in the Philippines. This study adopted a purposive sampling strategy. In addition to purposive sampling, this study employed maximum variation sampling. Maximum variation sampling is an appropriate strategy when the study aims to understand the variability of views existing in a particular group. Geographical and cultural variation, as well as variation in age, gender, and previous research exposure, were considerations in implementing this strategy. Both research-exposed (those who had answered a self-report violence measure) and research non-exposed (those who had not answered a self-report violence measure) participants were recruited. Apart from these considerations, participants were recruited on the basis of age (those aged between 10-17 years) and gender (male, female, and other gender identities).Globally, 95 million children become victims of physical, emotional and sexual child abuse every year. Child abuse has lifetime impacts including medical trauma, mental health distress, illness, school drop-out and unemployment. We know there is also a cycle of violence across generations. In other words, victims of child abuse are more likely to commit violent crime and to abuse their own children. They are also more likely to become a victim of violence again, both in childhood and in their adult relationships. Child abuse also has a hidden but massive impact on society...