“You child is just wonderful!” : On ethics and access in research with children

• Main Author: Sara Eldén
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Stavanger 2015-03-01
• Series: Journal of Comparative Social Work
• Online Access: http://journal.uia.no/index.php/JCSW/article/view/266

This article discuss the consequences of the ambiguous view of children in the ethical guidelines – the ambitions to “give voice” while also “protect” – with a point of departure taken in the Swedish context, and in an actual research process of a project on children and care. It shows how the regulation of informed consent through the parent compromises the ideals of child-centred research; firstly, by limiting the child’s possibility to opt in to research; secondly, by affecting the relationship between researcher, child and parent in the research encounter; and thirdly, by jeopardizing the child’s right to confidentiality. The author argues that we should view not only the child’s but also the adult’s consent as a “continuous negotiation” and discusses strategies for strengthening the child’s right to opt in and participate in research on equal terms.<br /><br />