The Ethics and Logistics of Qualitative Research with Children and Adolescents: Extraordinary Possibilities and Complex Challenges

Social work research about children and adolescents has often excluded their voices by collecting data from parents and other collaterals. Though research using collaterals is informative, it omits the unique social and psychological realities constructed by children/youth. Qualitative research methods are uniquely suited for capturing child/youth perceptions. Research including more child/youth perspectives has increased, without increased discussion of how to overcome inevitable ethical and logistical challenges in initiating research with children/youth. Social work researchers are particularly well-suited to navigate these challenges and contribute to the development of best practices in ethical research with children/youth.

Researchers may avoid collecting data directly from children/youth because of the complexity and multitude of ethical and logistical issues requiring consideration. Ethical matters include the inherent power differentials between adults and children/youth and implications for avoiding coercion and potential harm with individuals who are still developing cognitively and emotionally. Logistically, researchers may anticipate challenges gaining approval from institutional review boards (IRBs) to conduct research with children/youth. Obtaining informed parental consent and child/youth assent adds a necessary burden. Researchers may be discouraged by logistics such as gaining access to children/youth, recruitment, confidentiality, privacy, compensation, developmentally appropriate procedures, and protocols for mandated reporting in cases of suspected abuse. Social work researchers have unique assets for addressing these issues and obtaining IRB approval.

The proposed roundtable brings together scholars with experience and interest in qualitative research with children/youth, and has two goals: 1) Generating discussion about the importance of capturing their voices in social work research; and 2) Exploring solutions to inevitable ethical and logistical dilemmas in getting a study started. Presenters will share “tried and true” strategies gained from six research studies to mobilize mutual learning among roundtable participants and demystify research with children/youth for those who are interested but hesitant. Following the presentations, the roundtable will become an open forum. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences, ask questions, and explore implications of the roundtable discussion for social work research.

The first presenter will begin with an overview of why it is imperative to include voices of children/youth in research, and how social work researchers can leverage their training to this end. Others will present examples of how they surmounted specific logistical obstacles and obtained IRB approval for qualitative research with vulnerable children/youth, including those who were homeless, abuse survivors, mentally ill, in school settings, or sexual minority youth. Developmental considerations and power differentials between researchers and children/youth will be interwoven throughout the presentations. Other key topics, drawing on existing literature and presenters' experiences developing ethical study protocols, will include: competency, confidentiality, access, consent and assent, compensation, and initiating and maintaining collaborative relationships with host agencies (e.g. schools, shelters). While the roundtable focuses on overcoming initial challenges in research with children/youth, presenters will mention approaches linked with specific data collection methods (e.g., focus groups, interviews, participant observation).

This roundtable promotes collaborative sharing, skill development, and enthusiasm for research with children/youth. Specifically, participants will gain skills for leveraging social work research expertise to initiate studies exploring children/youth perspectives.