Parental Consent and the Ethics of Research with Foster Children

Abstract

Prior to writing this article, the two authors (Bogolub, US and Thomas, UK) conducted separate qualitative research studies with foster children. After briefly describing their individual studies, the two authors engage in a cross-cultural dialogue based on their differing perspectives on the importance of birth parent consent for foster children's research participation. The authors' differences appear largely, although not exclusively, related to contrasts between a US academic culture, which often stresses the fiduciary relationship between parents and developing children, and a UK academic culture, which places more emphasis on children's competence and independence. Conclusions center on the importance of cross-cultural dialogue as a way to promote considered decisions about the overlapping methodological and ethical questions that inevitably arise when doing research with children, particularly those involved with the child welfare system. KEY WORDS: birth parents cross-cultural foster children informed consent research ethics ARTICLE

The Herts and minds study: evaluating the effectiveness of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) as an intervention for children in foster care with emotional and/or behavioural problems: a phase II, feasibility, randomised controlled trial

“…They will be informed that they may contact the study team if they have any objections to their child being part of the research via an “opt-out” method of consent. This method has been used and recommended previously [ 28 ].…”

Ethical Review and Children's Research in Ireland

“…The concern about vulnerability becomes particularly significant in the case of research with children and adolescents whose vulnerability might be increased because of factors like serious illness, disability, mental health issues, abuse, sexual orientation or personal and social circumstances (Bogolub and Thomas, 2005;Cocks, 2006;Cuskelly, 2005;Fontes, 2004;helgeland, 2005;hoop et al, 2008;Kennedy, 2006;Scott et al, 2006;Solyom and Moreno, 2005;Thomas and O'Kane, 1998;Thompson, 1990;Valentine et al, 2001;Yan and Munir, 2004). historically, many cases of children's research have been conducted with particularly vulnerable groups of children and concerns about their exploitation are understandable in this context (Lederer and Grodin, 1994;Lederer, 2003).…”

El método de ética como proceso: acogiendo la ambivalencia en investigaciones sobre infancia y deportabilidad

“…Depending on children's age and maturity, various levels of direct consent can be achieved and usually parents act as gatekeepers to the children as legal guardians (for a discussion on the complexities of parental consent in childhood research see Bogolub, 2005;Kendrick, Steckley, and Lerpiniere, 2008). During fieldwork I experienced that the children enjoyed, or at least did not mind, talking to me.…”