The moral consequences of studying the vulnerable

Abstract

Qualitative researchers studying children through the use of narratives face a particular set of ethical challenges as they relate to the need to report issues of abuse and neglect. These challenges are compounded by the lack of a court mandate to report abuse, for without such a mandate researchers are left to decide whether a case merits reporting and, if so, whether they are the ones responsible to do so. While researchers may be reluctant to support a mandate, citing issues of confidentiality, lack of training, harm to research outcomes, and social and political ramifications, it is argued herein that they have a moral imperative to report. Thus, to remain a silent bystander to suspected abuse ultimately results in complicity to the injustice. More generally, it is also argued that the role of the dispassionate researcher, committed to his or her data alone, must be suspended in order to protect vulnerable populations. The Story of MarisolMarisol walked into the conference room of eleven girls as an awkwardly shy tenth grader who excelled academically in middle school but who then saw her grades plummet in high school. Marisol was a participant in a research study in which the agenda was straightforward: to uncover whether this sort of academic slump was due to the transition from middle to high school or to something more complex involving the intersection of gender, race, and class. These students Requests for further information should be directed to Ericka Fisher,

Safety in Online Research With Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: What About the Children?

“…Academic publication in the area of child safety in research has been dominated by the debate around whether it is appropriate for researchers to be mandatory reporters and the risks and benefits of mandatory reporting (e.g., Allen, 2009;Fisher, 2009;Gielen et al, 2000;Knight et al, 2006;Palusci, 2013;Urquiza, 2003;Uttal, 2003). Comparatively, child safety in research in which mothers are the participants has been relatively overlooked.…”

The wrongs of protection: Balancing protection and participation in research with marginalised young people

“…And they should. Humans are complex; research done both by and with them needs to acknowledge this (Fisher, 2009). However, reviewing projects individually (and institutionally) prevents them from being seen as part of a broader research context.…”

Reporting Maltreatment to Child Protective Services in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence Research

“…In part, this dilemma stems from the lack of clarity in the reporting statutes, which do not specifically address the role of researchers and are unclear regarding researchers’ responsibilities related to child protection. Moreover, researchers might also have reporting responsibilities mandated by their institutional review boards (IRBs) or their profession’s ethical codes (Allen, 2009; Fisher, 2009; Palusci, 2013). These additional reporting responsibilities pertain particularly to researchers from disciplines with professional credentialing that entails expectations for reporting child maltreatment (e.g., nursing, psychology, social work).…”