Assessing Knowledge and Acceptability of a Trauma-Informed Training Model to Strengthen Response to Conflict and Gender-Based Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence is common in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but there are few evaluations of multisectoral training interventions in conflict settings. We conducted high-quality, trauma-informed medicolegal trainings amongst multisectoral professionals, and sought to describe changes in knowledge after training and perceived training acceptability.

Methods: Participants were health, law enforcement, and legal professionals who completed training at one of four sites from January 2012 to December 2018.

Multiyear, Multisectoral Training Program in Kenya to Enhance Medical-Legal Processes in Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) leads to severe sequelae for individuals and communities. Lack of cross-sector coordination inhibits effective medical-legal support and justice for survivors. Multisectoral trainings for health, legal, and law enforcement professionals on survivor-centered SGBV care were conducted in Kenya during 2012-2018.

Development and validation of a data quality index for forensic documentation of sexual and gender-based violence in Kenya.

Introduction: High-quality forensic documentation can improve justice outcomes for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, but there are limited tools to assess documentation data quality. This study aimed to develop and validate a data quality assessment index to objectively assess clinician documentation across the 26 key elements of the standardized forensic evidence forms used in Kenya.

Methods: Informed by prior quality assessment tools, an initial draft of the index was developed.

To confront sexual violence, we must train non-forensic experts to perform medico-legal evaluations.

Sexual violence is a global crisis. Forensic evaluations are critical for obtaining evidence and increasing the likelihood of accessing justice, as many cases fail due to lack of evidence or poor evidence. In some countries, only board-certified forensic specialists are authorized to conduct forensic evaluations.

The impact of COVID-19 on services for people affected by sexual and gender-based violence.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and particularly intimate partner violence (IPV), has spiked dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the pandemic is impacting and interrupting SGBV and IPV services of all kinds. This paper focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical care and forensic medical documentation for SGBV survivors, including an analysis of the response in the UK and Kenya, and provides recommendations for safe implementation of these services during the pandemic.

Swedish farmers attitudes, expectations and fears in relation to growing genetically modified crops.

This study evaluates a survey about Swedish farmers' attitude towards genetically modified (GM) crops, and their perception concerning potential benefits and drawbacks that cropping of an insect resistant (IR) GM variety would involve. The questions were "tick a box" choices, included in a yearly omnibus survey sent to 1000 Swedish farmers (68% response rate). The results showed that a majority of the farmers were negative, although almost one third claimed to be neutral to GM crops.

How does scientific risk assessment of GM crops fit within the wider risk analysis?

The debate concerning genetically modified crops illustrates confusion between the role of scientists and that of wider society in regulatory decision making. We identify two fundamental misunderstandings, which, if rectified, would allow progress with confidence. First, scientific risk assessment needs to test well-defined hypotheses, not simply collect data.