A Chance to have a Voice: The Motivations and Experiences of Female Victim-Survivors of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence who Joined a Lived Experience Research Group

Purpose

Having individuals with lived experience as co-researchers collaborate in research has increasingly become recognized as empowering for those involved and necessary for translational research. However, there has been limited exploration of how lived experience involvement as co-researchers in design, implementation and dissemination is experienced by those undertaking these influential roles. This study aimed to explore victim-survivors’ (of domestic, family and sexual violence) motivations for joining a lived experience research group and understand their experiences of taking part in setting the research agenda.

Methods

Seven in-depth face-to-face interviews took place with women from a lived experience group based at a university. Reflective thematic analysis led to development of four main themes.

Results

The first theme, making a difference, speaks to personal reasons that empowered participants to become a part of the new co-researcher group. Having that collective experience explains the benefits victim-survivors experienced from joining the group and shows to the importance of feeling supported by others with similar experiences. Wounds that are still very raw describes the emotional challenges that could arise when committing to the work of a lived experience group and the potential for re-traumatization. Finally, the theme there’s no blueprint for this addresses the innovative work victim-survivors engaged in to build a meaningful, research-active group. Motivation to participate in a lived experience group was influenced by their own past experiences. While having their voices heard was important for some, the stronger desire was to create meaningful change for other victim-survivors.

Conclusions

Future research should focus on how to support and meaningfully engage victim-survivors to undertake co-researcher roles, acknowledging the potential for re-traumatization. Future guidelines for establishing lived experience research groups are necessary.