Child Participation in Social Research: Ethical and Methodological Considerations

This chapter addresses the ethical and methodological considerations of involving children in social research, with special attention paid to the participation of children in vulnerable life situations. International and national regulations governing ethical research put several limitations on the participation of children in research, especially children with traumatic pasts and disabilities or those living in disadvantaged and violent environments. Ethics committees scrupulously following formal requirements—including active parental consent for the participation of children in research regardless of the child’s age to protect the children from potential harm—may make it impossible for children to exercise their right to express their views on critical issues affecting their lives. In particular, this may be an issue in studies of child maltreatment, where the consent of parents or guardians of maltreated children is most often valued above the child’s well-being and rights. However, earlier studies show the benefits of child participation in research, including studies of sensitive topics in the different life domains of the child. Many ethical issues can be resolved by adopting child-friendly methodologies as demonstrated in this book.