Background Young people will increasingly have the option of using new technologies for reproductive decision making but their voices are rarely heard in debates about acceptable public policy in this area. Capturing the views of young people about potentially esoteric topics, such as genetics, is difficult and methodologically challenging.
The aim of this project was to explore the views of young people, in particular those whose details are held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD), about some of the social and ethical issues surrounding the NDNAD. Ten focus groups revealed the majority of participants supported a universal DNA database; many thought taking a DNA sample should depend on the seriousness of the crime rather than the age of the person and that profiles of innocent people should be kept on the NDNAD. Participants' main concern regarding their information being held on the NDNAD was that the police might be able to frame them for a crime because they had access to their DNA. We suggest that policymakers hold further public debates regarding the NDNAD, with a greater variety of people, in order to ensure that the views of all members of society are addressed and protected and that there is greater understanding about the regulation of the NDNAD.
While there has been research conducted on public views about ethical and social aspects of the National DNA Database (NDNAD), there is little which focuses on views of young people, in particular those whose details are held on the NDNAD. We describe an engagement activity developed in South Wales to engage young offenders with ethical and social issues surrounding the NDNAD--a Mock Trial--and how we facilitated the presentation of their views to policy makers. We discuss the successes and challenges we encountered with engaging young offenders, decisions that the young people reached about possible future policies for the NDNAD at the Mock Trial, and their contribution to the decision-making process.
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