Research
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Trauma Informed Design - The White Paper

Based on a decade’s work, Chayn’s trauma-informed design principles are foundational to everything we do. From our HR processes to content writing to user research to product and service design, these principles ensure our practices are centred around the experiences of survivors of gender-based violence around the world. In this whitepaper, we will explore our eight principles, their genesis, and how to apply them to your work. This work could prove to be useful for anyone interested in creating systems, products, processes and environments that are safe, impactful, and empowering.

Tech vs Abuse

Comic Relief commissioned the research, ‘Tech vs Abuse’ to better understand how technology might play a supportive role in domestic abuse situations and how to minimise the associated risks. Undertaken by SafeLives, Snook and Chayn, this research gathered insights from over 200 survivors of domestic abuse and practitioners who support them. We found that survivors often utilised technology to abuse their victims, and survivors resented losing safe access to technology.

Safer Chatbots

In 2021, UNICEF was creating a community of best practice around chatbots that support survivors of gender-based violence globally. To assist UNICEF in creating a library of diverse and common terms, Chayn worked with a team of volunteers to put together this report. The guide supports the creation of an additional safety mechanism for those who are most vulnerable, especially since the rise in chatbot popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic.
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ORBITS

From 2021 to 2022, Chayn and End Cyber Abuse went on a journey to understand the nature of TGBV and how to address it. The result is Orbits: a guide on designing intersectional, survivor-centred, and trauma-informed interventions to tech abuse. Co-created with global thinkers, practitioners, and survivors, Orbits focuses on three vital areas for tackling tech abuse: technology, research, and policy, exploring and outlining a different approach that leaves no survivor behind.

Shadow Pandemic

Supported by The National Lottery Community Fund in the pandemic, the ‘Shadow Pandemic: Domestic Abuse Learning Partnership’ brought together 11 organisations to develop a better understanding of experiences across England. Drawing together the voices of survivors and practitioners and organisational data and expertise to evidence and explain what long-term changes are needed in the sector, as well as in national and local government, after the global pandemic.
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Mapping the state of knowledge on the use of stalkerware in intimate partner violence

In a collaboration between UCL STEaPP and Chayn, we explored the growing use of Stalkerware. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, researchers from UCL STEaPP programme explored past research and current, direct assessments from experts on the use of stalkerware in situations of intimate partner violence, and identified what is known and unknown in addressing this issue. We explore how we can create better policies and interventions, and prevent and prosecute stalkerware.
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Availability and responsiveness of gender-based violence helplines in Pakistan

Chayn and Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) collaborated to conduct a comprehensive study of the helplines and resources available for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Pakistan between May and June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted  when infection rates were rising across the country as the state gradually eased several lockdown restrictions. Over this period, reports of GBV, both online and offline, increased around the country.
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Connecting the dots


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This is a collaborative research by Chayn, AVA, and Dot Project to deliver capacity building activities to organisations within the sexual abuse and domestic violence sectors. Our goal is to map the services available in the domestic and sexual violence charities for survivors who need services, support or information. Current information available across the sector is unreliable, out of date, and has significant duplication of effort maintaining data and information.
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