“When we speak to them at their level, they are able to speak everything”: Reflections on training fieldworkers in South Africa to conduct research on violence across three generations

Violence against women and children (VAWC) are global issues that particularly affect South Africa. Conducting research on VAWC requires skilled and compassionate interviewers who can collect accurate and valuable data from multiple family members while being sensitive to participants' stories and potential distress. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how to train fieldworkers for such research. To address gaps in knowledge on appropriate training for fieldworkers, this paper presents key reflections and recommendations on challenges and opportunities for high-quality training and data collection from a research study on intergenerational violence transmission. The study included three focus group discussions with six fieldworkers and debriefing sessions with seven study facilitators. The fieldworkers were aged 28-48 and resided in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The collected data (transcriptions from the audio recorded FDGs) was analyzed using a rapid analytical approach. The findings showed that continuous, experiential training is crucial in enhancing fieldworkers' skills and shifting attitudes, especially regarding gender norms and violence. Training on sensitive topics should be tailored to address the specific demands of the study, considering the complexity of the subject matter and the interviewers' previous experience. Promoting a culture of self-care among the research teams is essential. This can be achieved by implementing techniques like meditation, frequent debriefings, and encouraging open communication to enhance the resilience and general well-being of fieldworkers. • Specialised training is critical for violence research in peri-urban South Africa. • Experiential training strengthened child interviewing confidence and emotional resilience. • Training shifted fieldworkers’ gender norms and understanding of violence. • Managers found continuous, adaptive training vital for ethical field practice. • Violence research training must embed self-care, gender transformation and child-centred methods.