Oxford University Social Policy and Intervention

02/06/2026

📢 NEW research provides quantitative evidence that drought exposure is associated with increased risk of sexual, emotional and physical violence among adolescents in Southern Africa.

The study, led by Dr Bothaina Eltigani (DPhil student at DSPI), is published in The Lancet Planetary Health. It analyses data from over 20,000 adolescents in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

It found that adolescents living in drought conditions experienced:

▶️ 46% increase in sexual violence by non-partners

▶️ 51% increase in emotional violence by partners, and 73% increase in emotional violence by non-partners

▶️ 39 % increase in physical violence by partners and 41% by non-partners.

Dr Eltigani, who was previously a doctor in Sudan, said: 'Our findings show that drought disproportionately affects already vulnerable groups [...] and underscores a clear call to action: adolescent and youth-focused, gender-sensitive violence prevention strategies must be integrated into early warning systems with sustainable climate adaptation measures – particularly in regions facing prolonged drought.'

Find out more: www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/drought-linked-to-46-increase-in-sexual-violence-among-adolescents-in-southern-africa

Read the research in full https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101448

IIASA

02/06/2026

Great to see Professor Tim Vlandas’s research on how ageing electorates are reshaping the economic and political foundations of European welfare states published in European Trade Union Institute - ETUI

Professor Vlandas argues that a renewed progressive strategy is needed for growth in ageing advanced capitalist democracies. This strategy should be based on these 3 principles:

1️⃣‘Solidarity between generations’ – sustainable pensions depend on investing in younger generations through childcare, education and employment.

2️⃣‘Addressing inequalities within generations’ - retirement expectations should reflect differences in job demands, pay and life expectancy.

3️⃣ ‘Upward mobility across generations’ - future generations can finance pensions only if they are economically better off due to sustained growth.

🔗Read the research in full www.etui.org/publications/ageing-european-electorates-and-new-progressive-growth-dilemma

28/05/2026

How do older votes ‘electorally reward and punish’?

Research by DSPI’s Professor Tim Vlandas exploring the impact of aging electorates on political and economic outcomes has been cited in a new Labour Together report outlining the case for compulsory voting

The report argues that older voters are less likely to reward governments for strong economic performance or high employment compared with younger voters.

The report and research was also featured in a recent Express article discussing the ‘power of pensioners at the ballot box’ and debates around the future of the triple lock policy.

🔎 Read the full research in World Politics: https://f.mtr.cool/vuhlpcpgwb
🔎 Read Express article: https://f.mtr.cool/fbunbejzov
🔎 Read the Labour Together report:

28/05/2026

With temperatures in the UK reaching a new high for May, Dr Chloe Brimicombe, climate scientist and postdoctoral researcher at DSPI, has been talking to the media about the growing challenge of extreme heat in the workplace.

Key points from her interviews include:
▶️ The need to consider maximum workplace temperatures, developed in consultation with local organisations and industry.
▶️ Discussions around air conditioning must be accompanied by legislation that protects the most vulnerable while also maintaining the electricity grid.
▶️ A welcome shift in the conversation, moving beyond the death aspect of heat to talking about solutions we can put in place.

Listen to Dr Brimicombe talking to Nicky Campbell on Radio 5 Live on Monday (from 25:00): https://f.mtr.cool/spsuxucgxg

Too hot to work? And who cares for the carers? Nicky takes your calls.

28/05/2026

🎓 Trinity Term Seminar Series | Upcoming Talk
🗓 Date: 4 June
⏰ Time: 4-5:30pm
🎙Dr Miriam Alvarado, University of Cambridge

In the penultimate seminar of the Trinity series, Dr Miriam Alvarado will introduce a motivating policy problem (a sugar-sweetened beverage tax in Barbados) and discuss the ways in which she has used a variety of methods to address the ‘what now/next’ question in relation to this policy. Throughout the talk she will be reflecting on the lessons learned and discussing exciting areas for future methodological development.

Find out more: https://events.ox.ac.uk/oxford_event/51bd834d-f928-f111-88b4-7c1e52046306
Note: Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI).

19/05/2026

🎓 Trinity Term Seminar Series | Upcoming Talk
🗓 Date: Tuesday 26 May
⏰ Time: 4-5:30pm
🎙 Professor Christina Mair, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

Join us next Tuesday for our weekly seminar, presented by Professor Christina Mair who joins us as an Astor Visiting Lecturer.

The lecture: 'Understanding Social Dynamics in Public Health and Social Policy: Systems Science Approaches' will draw on research spanning alcohol use, violence, and community health - illustrating how systems approaches can identify policy leverage points and inform more effective interventions.

Throughout the lecture, Professor Mair will demonstrate how integrating multiple systems science methods to examine the same problem deepens their analytical power and strengthens their relevance to policy and practice.

Find out more: https://events.ox.ac.uk/oxford_event/3062a04f-ff33-f111-88b5-7c1e52046959
Note: Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI).

18/05/2026

New study provides evidence that digital parenting interventions are effective in low-income preschool settings

Around 250 million children are at risk of not reaching developmental potential, while an estimated 1 billion experience violence every year. Although traditional parenting programmes are effective, they are often difficult to scale due to cost, time demands, and stigma.

Led by Dr Zuyi Fang, DSPI Associate Member and alum, this was the first randomised controlled trial of a digital-human parenting intervention delivered in a preschool setting, through a chatbot, with support from teachers and social workers.

Conducted in China, the study found:
- 79% increase in early learning and stimulation
- 29% reduction in physical violence by caregivers, and 13% reduction in violence overall
- Reduced parental anxiety
- Benefits to all families, including those affected by disability

Dr Zuyi Fang commented: “Our findings show that combining digital parenting support with trusted human guidance can significantly improve children’s development while reducing violence in the home. Embedding these interventions in preschool systems offers a scalable, equitable way to reach families at population level.”

This research is relevant to current debates about AI for public good, early years investment, and violence prevention.

Read the article in PLOS Digital Health:

Author summary Many young children around the world do not receive enough learning opportunities at home and are exposed to violent discipline, which can negatively affect their health and development. Parenting programs can help, but in many settings they are difficult to deliver because they requi...

15/05/2026

Championing the United Nations and the

As part of the , we are spotlighting research from our department that aligns with the day’s theme: Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing.

This research outlines 15 policy guidelines to help tackle child poverty through policy design, childcare provision, and integrated services.

Key insights:

💡Effective child poverty policy must ensure support is universal, adequate, and inclusive.

💡Closing the childcare gap is essential to enable parents to work and sustain stable incomes.

💡Reducing child poverty requires coordinated, family-centred services rather than isolated interventions.

Click the link to find out more:

The rEUsilience project has developed policy recommendations to help families deal with difficult and sometimes unexpected circumstances that threaten their resilience.

15/05/2026

Today is the !

Under the theme Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing - the United Nations aims to enhance global understanding of how inequalities undermine family and child wellbeing to promote investments in integrated family-oriented policies.

Here at child and family welfare is a core research theme. Our researchers develop policies and practices that promote child and family well-being in both the Global North and South – from tackling child poverty to changing generational opportunity, and parental, infant, and adolescent mental health.

Explore the Child and Family research hub online:

Globally, families are becoming more diverse and family policies are drawn more to the centre of economic policies as labour markets and economies change. The challenges are manifold, and include ensuring the well-being and welfare of children, managing demographic changes and transitions, reconcili...

14/05/2026

Alongside the United Nations we are observing by championing the theme for 2026: Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing.

For DSPI, child and family welfare is a core research focus and our academics make a significant contribution to the development of family-oriented policies in both the Global North and South.

From education to parental mental health, the scope of impact is broad. For example, this research from Dr Mobarak Hossain and Martina Beretta covers global patterns of educational mobility, gender differences in opportunity, and the role of education expansion in shaping life chances.

Key insights:

💡Educational mobility has increased globally over time, though gains vary across countries.

💡Daughters have seen particularly strong improvements in mobility, narrowing gender gaps in many regions.

💡Expanding education boosts opportunity, but structural inequalities still limit progress in some contexts.

Click the link to find out more:

A new study by Dr Mobarak Hossain and Martina Beretta explores patterns of educational mobility across both high-income and low- and middle-income countries.