Victorian Aboriginal services co-creating knowledge about healing and recovery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of child sexual abuse: A study protocol

<h2>Abstract</h2> Child sexual abuse is a human rights and public health issue with harmful impacts on individuals, families and communities of all nations and cultures. There is a lack of research on healing and recovery from child sexual abuse for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. This protocol describes a program of research that was co-designed with practitioners and senior staff from six Aboriginal partner services dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of child sexual abuse in the Australian state of Victoria. This multi-method study is grounded in Indigenous research methodologies and methods of data generation, in addition to complementary Western methodologies and methods of data analysis. The overarching aim of the project that this program of research is situated within is to better understand and respond to the experiences and healing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with lived experience of child sexual abuse. The specific aims for the first phase of research outlined in this protocol are to: (1) strengthen the wellbeing and capacity of the workforce dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of child sexual abuse; and (2) build a Victorian workforce understanding of the experiences and processes of healing in relation to child sexual abuse from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. The protocol outlines three related research activities, which make up this first phase of the study. The first activity involves cultural wellbeing and yarning gatherings for staff of the partner services to yarn about healing from child sexual abuse. This research activity utilises yarning and a grounded theory approach. The second activity involves an evaluation of a community of practice for staff, utilising yarning and reflexive thematic analysis. The third activity is a scoping review that investigates Indigenous peoples' experiences of healing from child sexual abuse and utilises thematic analysis. This co-designed program of research focuses on supporting practitioners and services dedicated to survivors of child sexual abuse through the development of new knowledge inclusive of practice wisdom and privileging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges.