Research into child poverty and juvenile delinquency shares two features: both involve children and sensitive topics. This article focuses on the critical problem of the quality of children’s participation in research. Some of the ethical and methodological challenges faced in two research projects, a self-report survey on juvenile delinquency and a multi-method study of low-income families, will be discussed. The construct of engagement is proposed as a rationale to address these challenges.
AbramovitchRThodenKNikolichC (1991) Children’s capacity to consent to participation in psychological research: Empirical findings. Child Development62: 1100–1109.
2.
AldersonPMorrowV (2011) The Ethics of Research with Children and Young People: A Practical Handbook, 2nd edn.Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
3.
BarnettJC (1998) Sensitive questions and response effects: An evaluation. Journal of Managerial Psychology13(1): 63–76.
4.
BartkoTW (2005) The ABCs of engagement in out-of-school programs. New Directions for Youth Development105: 109–120.
5.
BatesSCCoxJM (2008) The impact of computer versus paper–pencil survey, and individual versus group administration, on self-reports of sensitive behaviors. Computers in Human Behavior24(3): 903–916.
6.
BeckerKDLeeBRDaleidenEL, et al. (2015) The common elements of engagement in children’s mental health services: Which elements for which outcomes?Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology44(1): 30–43.
7.
BruzzeseJFisherCB (2003) Assessing and enhancing the research consent capacity of children and youth. Applied Developmental Science7(1): 13–26.
8.
CashmoreJ (2006) Ethical issues concerning consent in obtaining children’s reports on their experience of violence. Child Abuse & Neglect30(9): 969–977.
9.
ChaeYGoodmanGSBederian-GardnerD, et al. (2011) Methodological issues and practical strategies in research on child maltreatment victims’ abilities and experiences as witnesses. Child Abuse &Neglect35: 240–248.
10.
ChristensenPProutA (2002) Working with ethical symmetry in social research with children. Childhood9(4): 477–497.
11.
CocksAJ (2006) The ethical maze: Finding an inclusive path towards gaining children’s agreement to research participation. Childhood13(2): 247–266.
12.
ConnellJPWellbornJG (1991) Competence, autonomy, and relatedness: A motivational analysis of self-system processes. In: GunnarMRSroufeLA (eds) Self Processes and Development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 43–77.
13.
ConnellJPHalpern-FelsherBLCliffordE, et al. (1995) Hanging in there: Behavioral, psychological, and contextual factors affecting whether African American adolescents stay in high school. Journal of Adolescent Research10: 41–63.
14.
CoyneI (2010) Accessing children as research participants: Examining the role of gatekeepers. Child: Care, Health and Development36(4): 452–454.
15.
CreeVEKayHTisdallK (2002) Research with children: Sharing the dilemmas. Child & Family Social Work7: 47–56.
16.
DomecqJPPrutskyGElraiyahT, et al. (2014) Patient engagement in research: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research14(1): 89.
17.
DresdenGMLevittMA (2001) Modifying a standard industry clinical trial consent form improves patient information retention as part of the informed consent process. Academic Emergency Medicine8: 246–252.
18.
FisherCB (2004) Informed consent and clinical research involving children and adolescents: Implications of the revised APA ethics code and HIPAA. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology33(4): 832–839.
19.
FoeGLarsonEL (2016) Reading level and comprehension of research consent forms: An integrative review. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics11(1): 31–46.
20.
FredricksJA (2011) Engagement in school and out-of-school contexts: A multidimensional view of engagement. Theory into Practice50(4): 327–335.
21.
FredricksJABlumenfeldPCParisAH (2004) School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research74(1): 59–109.
22.
GibsonBStasiulisEGutfreundS, et al. (2011) Assessment of children’s capacity to consent for research: A descriptive qualitative study of researchers’ practices. Journal of Medical Ethics37(8): 504–509.
23.
GorinSHooperCDysonC, et al. (2008) Ethical challenges in conducting research with hard to reach families. Child Abuse Review17: 275–287.
GrahamAPowellMATaylorN (2015) Ethical research involving children: Encouraging reflexive engagement in research with children and young people. Children & Society29(5): 331–343.
26.
HarcourtDSargeantJ (2011) The challenges of conducting ethical research with children. Education Inquiry2(3): 421–436.
27.
HiriscauIEStingelin-GilesNStadlerC, et al. (2014) A right to confidentiality or a duty to disclose? Ethical guidance for conducting prevention research with children and adolescents. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry23(6): 409–416.
28.
InderbitzinMBatesKAGaineyRR (2013) Deviance and Social Control: A Sociological Perspective. London: SAGE.
29.
JelsmaJBurgessTHenleyL (2012) Does the requirement of getting active consent from parents in school-based research result in a biased sample? An empirical study. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics7(5): 56–62.
30.
JohnsonVHartRColwellJ (2014) Steps to engaging young children in research. Report, Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague, July.
31.
KellettM (2010) Small shoes, big steps! Empowering children as active researchers. American Journal of Community Psychology46: 195–203.
32.
KirkS (2007) Methodological and ethical issues in conducting qualitative research with children and young people: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies44(7): 1250–1260.
33.
KollerSHRaffaelliMCarloG (2012) Conducting research about sensitive subjects: The case of homeless youth. Universitas Psychologica11(1): 55–65.
34.
LamSFWongBPYangH, et al. (2012) Understanding student engagement with a contextual model. In: ChristensonSLReschlyALWylieC (eds) Handbook of Research on Student Engagement. Boston, MA: Springer, pp. 403–419.
35.
LambertVGlackenM (2011) Engaging with children in research: Theoretical and practical implications of negotiating informed consent/assent. Nursing Ethics18(6): 781–801.
36.
LawsSMannG (2004) So you want to involve children in research? A toolkit supporting children’s meaningful and ethical participation in research relating to violence against children. Report, Save the Children, London, August.
37.
LawsonMLawsonHA (2013) New conceptual frameworks for student engagement research, policy, and practice. Review of Educational Research83(3): 432–479.
38.
Lensvelt-MuldersG (2008) Surveying sensitive topics. In: De LeeuwEDHoxJDillmanDA (eds) International Handbook of Survey Methodology. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 461–478.
39.
MillerRBGreeneBAMontalvoGP, et al. (1996) Engagement in academic work: The role of learning goals, future consequences, pleasing others, and perceived ability. Contemporary Educational Psychology21(4): 388–422.
40.
NolandCM (2012) Institutional barriers to research on sensitive topics: Case of sex communication research among university students. Journal of Research Practice8(1): 1–9.
41.
Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (2011) Código Deontológico da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. Diário da República78: 17931–17936.
42.
OttMARosenbergerJGFortenberryJD (2010) Parental permission and perceived research benefits in adolescent STI. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics5(2): 57–64.
43.
PancerSMRose-KrasnorLLoiselleLD (2002) Youth conferences as a context for engagement. New Directions for Youth Development2002(96): 47–64.
44.
PatrickBCSkinnerEAConnellJP (1993) What motivates children’s behavior and emotion? Joint effects of perceived control and autonomy in the academic domain. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology65(4): 781–791.
45.
PowellMAFitzgeraldRMTaylorN, et al. (2012) International literature review: Ethical issues in undertaking research with children and young people. Report, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia, March.
46.
PunchS (2002) Research with children: The same or different from research with adults?Childhood9(3): 321–341.
47.
RameyHLRose-KrasnorLBusseriMA, et al. (2015) Measuring psychological engagement in youth activity involvement. Journal of Adolescence45: 237–249.
48.
ReeveJ (2012) A self-determination theory perspective on student engagement. In: ChristensonSLReschlyAWylieC (eds) Handbook of Research on Student Engagement. Boston, MA: Springer, pp. 149–172.
49.
Rose-KrasnorL (2009) Future directions in youth involvement research. Social Development18(2): 497–509.
50.
RyanRMDeciEL (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist55(1): 68–78.
51.
SimeD (2008) Ethical and methodological issues in engaging young people living in poverty with participatory research methods. Children’s Geographies6(1): 63–78.
52.
SkinnerEAPitzerJR (2012) Developmental dynamics of student engagement, coping, and everyday resilience. In: ChristensonSLReschlyAWylieC (eds) Handbook of Research on Student Engagement. Boston, MA: Springer, pp. 21–44.
53.
SkinnerEAWellbornJGConnellJP (1990) What it takes to do well in school and whether I’ve got it: A process model of perceived control and children’s engagement and achievement in school. Journal of Educational Psychology82(1): 22–32.
54.
SuppleDRobertsAHudsonV, et al. (2015) From tokenism to meaningful engagement: Best practices in patient involvement in an EU project. Research Involvement and Engagement1(1): 5.
55.
ThurmanSL (2015) Ethical considerations in longitudinal studies of human infants. Infant Behavior and Development38: 116–125.
56.
TourangeauRYanT (2007) Sensitive questions in surveys. Psychological Bulletin133(5): 859–883.
57.
WigfieldAEcclesJSFredricksJA, et al. (2015) Development of achievement motivation and engagement. In: LernerRM (ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1–44.
