Conclusion: Meeting the Ethical Challenges in Research with Children and Young People

Ethics and integrity are at the centre of our research practices and processes. Engaging children and young people in research, and in different ways, offers valuable opportunities for them to participate in the generation of knowledge about their own lives – reflecting a commitment to the importance of children’s rights to participation, and as enshrined within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN, 1989). Such approaches to research crucially acknowledge children as active social agents, in contrast to passive objects, with unique capabilities and insights that can and do differ from those of adults. Yet, the privileging of children and young people’s perspectives and experiences is not without complexity, and ethical issues frequently emerge as part of our research approaches and practices, despite best intentions. Methodological innovation in child and youth-centred methods has prompted researchers to reflect critically on the possibilities for adult-centric assumptions, practices and positionality to creep into research, including the subsequent ethical sensitivities and dilemmas this produces.