Better together: A priority-setting partnership to identify research priorities for child maltreatment in Canada

Child maltreatment research is seldom informed by those with lived experience.

To identify priority research questions on child maltreatment in Canada from the perspectives of youth, caregivers, and service providers.

A national priority-setting partnership (PSP) was conducted across Canada. Eligible participants were youth aged 18 to 30 with histories of child maltreatment, caregivers, and service providers working with maltreated youth. A volunteer sample was recruited through social media platforms, national conferences, and community organizations.

The PSP was carried out between October 2023 and October 2025 using the standardized James Lind Alliance method, which included two cross-sectional surveys, focus groups, and a consensus workshop. Questions generated through the surveys and focus groups were consolidated into 133 summary questions and checked against available evidence. One hundred unanswered questions were circulated for interim prioritization, and the top 20 were discussed at a consensus workshop.

The top 10 priorities included integrating Indigenous Ways of Being and Knowing into systems supporting youth with histories of maltreatment, as well as harm prevention, child maltreatment education, and gaps in services within these systems. Effective approaches to preventing child maltreatment and treating its consequences were prioritized, alongside its impact on brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Intergenerational trauma and systemic factors contributing to neglect in Black communities were also among the top 10.

This PSP identified top 10 research priorities for child maltreatment. These priorities can guide researchers toward questions that matter to individuals with lived experience and inform practice and policy.