New and Emerging Forms of Violence Data for Crisis Response

Effective early warning and crisis response systems in contexts of violence increasingly depend on the availability of timely, reliable incident reports, to intervene in a timely way, determine the scale and dimensions of crises, and target response accordingly. Sources of these reports can include traditional media, social media, digital platforms, and other custom monitoring and self-reporting systems. While each reporting pathway can provide critical information to shape the design, targeting, and geography of early warning and crisis response, there is limited robust research on their comparative reliability and comprehensiveness.

This project seeks to respond to the existing knowledge on the contribution of digital platforms and social media towards political violence in Kenya and to establish the role that these media forms can play in monitoring and prevention of political violence in Kenya.

Our partners include the Institute of Development studies at Sussex University (IDS) and the Economic and Social Research Fund (ESRC).