Are We Ready to Really Hear the Voices of Those Concerned? Lessons Learned from Listening to and Involving Children in Child and Family Psychology Research

Abstract

A changing view of children, accelerated by the Convention of the Rights of the Child (UN in Convention on the rights of the child, UN Doc. A/RES/44/25, 1989, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/crc.pdf) has shifted the landscape of child and family research over the last few decades. Once viewed with low credibility and operating outside the interpretive framework of adult researchers, the rights-bearing child is increasingly recognized not only as having the capacity but also the right to participate in research. More recently, this movement has transitioned from the direct engagement of children as research participants—now considered commonplace, although less so for those who are structurally vulnerable—to the involvement of children in research design, review, conduct, and dissemination. Yet, both practical and ethical challenges remain. While children have the right to participation, they also have the right to protection. In this commentary, we set out to: (i) lay forth epistemic, child rights, and child sociology arguments for doing research about, with and by children and youth; (ii) recount our own journey of including children and youth in research to demonstrate the unique knowledge and insights gained through these approaches; and (iii) offer lessons learned on how to engage children and youth in research, including the involvement of structurally vulnerable groups.

Development of a self-management mobile app for bereaved adolescents: evaluating patient and public involvement

“…The adolescents also noted that participating in the research was both fun and educational, resonating with previously reported benefits of PPI with adolescents, where involvement is seen as enjoyable and provides contributors with valuable skills (Rouncefield-Swales et al, 2021 ). The study results are consistent with prior participatory research involving adolescents with potentially traumatic experiences (Pavarini et al, 2021 ; Sarkadi et al, 2023 ), emphasising the importance of clear communication about roles and responsibilities, and staying connected between meetings. Our reflections also align with previous research highlighting the significance of being mindful of not pressuring adolescents to share personal stories and taking measures to manage power imbalances, crucial aspects in generating a positive experience for the adolescents.…”

“…Participatory research involving adolescents with potentially traumatic experiences includes, for example, one study of refugee youth participating in intervention adaptation (Pérez-Aronsson et al, 2022 ) and others using participatory art methods with youth who have experienced adverse childhood events (Pavarini et al, 2021 ). Researchers working with potentially traumatised adolescents through participatory methods emphasise the importance of power-sharing, of allowing the adolescents to lead with researcher support, clarifying roles and responsibilities from the onset, and maintaining open communication with the adolescents between meetings, without pressuring them into sharing personal experiences and risk re-traumatisation (Pavarini et al, 2021 ; Sarkadi et al, 2023 ). Despite these considerations, studies involving adolescents with experiences of potentially traumatic events, such as bereavement, in PPI remain scarce.…”

Coproducing Health Information Materials With Young People: Reflections and Lessons Learned

“…School rooms were big and well equipped for the session and CYP were in an established group that they felt comfortable talking and working with, although within the constraints of an environment where CYP are historically expected to be compliant and there are typically right and wrong answers. While working with a youth centre may have mitigated against established boundaries and relationship dynamics between school staff and children [ 37 ] working in a school environment increased access to participation as there was no requirement for parents to attend or provide their children with additional transportation [ 38 ].…”

“…CYP were given information about the project, Long Covid, and the research findings to include in the materials so that CYP were able to understand their role and could meaningfully take part in the discussion. For this coproduction project, it was important for us to work with CYP and enable their participation by developing activities that were engaging and interesting [ 38 ] around the key areas necessary for the design of the materials (content, presentation, and design), and which supported an open discussion forum for CYP.…”