The RESPECT study: Research framework for Engaging intimate partner violence Survivors as Partners in Empowering Collaborative Transformation (2 pm AST, 1 pm EST, 12 pm CST)

Carissa Melnyk; Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan and University of Regina

Background: Involving people with lived experience as research partners is becoming more common in other fields (e.g., healthcare), but is less common in forensic psychology research. This involvement helps inform the research agenda, improve research outcomes, and facilitate knowledge mobilization. Methods: Using an iterative participatory approach, the RESPECT study developed a framework for engaging survivors/victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) as full research partners. A team of academic, lived experience, community-based, and student researchers conducted a rapid scoping review, evaluated several existing models, organized a roundtable event, and held focus groups. Sixteen IPV survivors/victims and/or service providers attended the roundtable event, providing input into recommendations, and nine participated in the focus groups during which they gave feedback on the draft framework. Results: The framework has five overarching foundations accompanied by supporting recommendations: (1) Centering Safety, Well-Being, and Emotional Support; (2) Sharing Power Between Organization-Affiliated and Lived Experience Researchers; (3) Respect, Trust, and Relationship Building; (4) Ensuring Equity and Accessibility; and (5) Respecting and Celebrating Diverse Identities. Conclusion: Through the roundtable and focus groups, IPV survivors/victims and service providers helped develop the framework from its initial conception to amendments. This co-created framework offers a practical approach to conducting ethical, equitable, and intersectional participatory research with IPV survivors/victims. The framework will be shared in an open-access platform to facilitate knowledge translation and use by all researchers.