Research with children: ethics, safety and promoting inclusion

Consider whether the research poses any risk of harm to the children or researchers involved. Research shouldn’t involve any greater stress than is commonly experienced in day-to-day life.

In research about children’s experiences, the main risk is the potential to trigger or cause emotional or psychological distress. For example:

• children may find participating in research stressful
• the research may reawaken, trigger or uncover feelings or memories
• children may be worried about how researchers will respond to the information they have shared.

The impact of these issues can be affected by a range of factors, including:

• the age, and potential vulnerability, of the children involved
• the sensitivity of the research topic
• the way the research is collected.

Once you have identified potential risks, you should establish how you can avoid or minimise them.

Explain research confidentiality and obtain consent

Before taking part, children should understand the nature of the research and what will be expected of them.

It is important to explain confidentiality to the child before they give their consent and at the beginning of the research process. Explain:

• how you will use what they tell you
• how you will keep that confidential
• who else will see their data
• when you will have to break confidentiality and the process that you will follow.

> Find out more about sharing information

Adapt the collection methodology

The way information is collected can minimise distress caused to children. For example:

• position sensitive questions in the middle of an interview or focus group session to allow the children to warm up and cool down from these topics
• take breaks during data collection
• conduct the research in a friendly and comfortable environment
• avoid times of day when support services aren’t available.

Respond to distress and disclosures

It’s important to have a clear plan for responding to children’s distress or disclosures of harm to themselves or someone else.

You should have a process in place for referring child protection concerns. You should also provide information or encourage participants to seek help when an unmet need, such as a mental health concern, is disclosed.

Debriefing children at the end of the research can help identify any needs. This also provides another opportunity to refer participants to appropriate help or address any concerns.

Signpost to sources of further support

It is good practice to give children information about sources of support and remind them of these throughout the process.

A thank you leaflet containing information and contact details is particularly useful and should be given to all participants.

Childline provides confidential help and advice to children or young people. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online. You can also download Childline posters.

Assess and mitigate risks to researchers

You should also consider the potential impact of research on the researchers.

If researchers feel affected by what is discussed during the sessions, they should seek support through supervision with their manager. It may also be helpful to direct them to the NSPCC helpline to talk about anything that is concerning them.

Research supervisors should ensure that proper attention is paid to the researcher’s safety, particularly in lone working situations.

> Take a look at our guidance on lone working

Set out and approve your research plan

You should produce a research plan which clearly outlines, assesses and provides mitigation for potential risks.

Where possible, we recommend that plans for research with children are approved through a rigorous ethics review process by an appropriate ethics body.

Make sure you consider children’s capacity to consent to involvement in the research. This will depend on their level of understanding of the potential risks and benefits of taking part.

When considering whether a child is mature enough to make decisions about things that directly affect them, professionals often talk about whether the child is ‘Gillick competent’. Gillick competency means a young person is mature enough to fully understand what they are agreeing to.

> Learn more about Gillick competency and applying the guidelines

If a child isn’t fully able to understand the consequences of taking part, but is able to express willingness to participate and understand what is expected of them, it may be appropriate to seek their ‘assent’. In such cases consent should always be sought from their parent or carer.

Consent should also be obtained from the parent, carer or other appropriate adult for all children under the age of 8, and in most cases for children aged 8-15. For young people aged 16 and 17, you should carefully consider whether parental consent is appropriate.

If you don’t seek parental consent, you should justify your approach and consider whether parents should be informed of the research.

If a child doesn’t consent or assent to participate in research, this overrides the consent from the parent, guardian, carer, or other appropriate adult with a duty of care.

It must be made clear that there are no negative consequences to refusing to take part in research and that children or their parent or carer can also withdraw consent at any time. You should regularly check with young people and their families during the research that they are still happy to take part.

Requesting and recording consent

You should have a formal record that consent has been given before the research starts. Using a consent form enables children to confirm they understand what the research will involve and are happy to take part.
See our research ethics principles for an example of good practice of guidelines for seeking consent from young people and their parents.

Storing personal information

You should keep all participants’ personal information confidential and comply with the Data Protection Act 2018.

> Find out more about children and data protection on our children and the law pages