Susan Sorenson, Professor in the School of Social Policy and Practice has a funded research opportunity for a student assistant. This project begins May 1st because there is a need to present an outline of the background paper to the WHO by May 30. The project will continue through the end of December 2008. The student will, in conjunction with the professor, investigate the issues and write first the outline, then a draft and at least two redrafts to incorporate responses from the WHO.

The work will be conducted under contract with the World Health Organization on behalf of the UN Study on Violence Against Children. The purpose is to develop a background paper reviewing available health sector data collection instruments and information on violence against children and, specifically, to suggest a limited range of data collection instruments, coding procedures and indicators. The goal of this effort is to rationalize measurement efforts and increase the possibility of obtaining comparable data from different countries.

Because violence against children extends through adolescence, the review will need to ensure that data collection issues around violence leading to severe physical injuries are adequately covered, as well as youth risk behaviors, and would, thus, call on additional input in this area where necessary. However, the main focus will be on child maltreatment, including abuse and neglect.

The primary focus of this indicator development project is upon low- and middle-income countries where available data suggest that the problem is substantial yet measurement resources are fewest.

Penn undergraduates, freshmen through juniors, from any school or discipline with a reason for interest in this project are eligible. Application consists of an MS Word form to be completed and submitted as an email attachment to curf@pobox.upenn.edu by 9 am Monday April 14.