Many promising initiatives remain that are currently informal practices or not documented. This means that robust and detailed documentation on impact and causality must be a priority and should underlie all initiatives in this area.

Future research topics emerged in several areas:

1. Child participation in faith communities as a mechanism to challenge and combat violence against children: Further investigation is needed to understand the underlying beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate the limited roles children often play in faith communities, and the ways in which children’s voices, experiences, and opinions can be heard.

2. Facilitating mutual and respectful engagement and expertise sharing between faith and other child protection actors: There is little research on how to overcome barriers between these sectors and how to do this in a manner that avoids the instrumentalization of faith leaders and communities.

3. Interfaith collaboration to address specific violence against children: Some successful initiatives exist both at community and global levels, but further research is needed to better understand the diverse contexts, practical barriers, and modes of working that can lead to effective outcomes in the long-term.

4. Rigorous documentation and evidence gathering of Ending Violence Against Children initiatives across multiple faiths: It is vital that effective responses are rigorously documented and an evidence-base to guide decision-making is developed. As part of an action research, evidence-based approach, this facilitates a deeper understanding of effective ways for faith communities to counter violence against children.

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