ICDIs Rutger van Oudenhoven and Steve Smith traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria to meet with our partners from the Animus foundation to discuss the progress of the Perceptions of Healthy Relationships project. Kristen Cheney, from our Netherlands partner Institute of Social Studies (ISS), was also present.
The past 3 months, children from 3 schools in Bulgaria, so called Young Peer Researchers (YPRs), have been collecting data through a survey they developed. They managed to collect data from over 850 of their peers. This was the quantative part of the research project.
During the survey we discussed the preliminary findings of the survey, and started planning the second phase of the project: the qualitative research. During this phase the Young Peer Researchers will conduct focus groups and interviews with peers, parents and teachers and explore creative ways to better understand how young people in Bulgaria perceive healthy relationships. In 2018, ICDI will support the Young Peer Researchers with tools and methods they can use in their research.