Guidelines for Research with Children as Participants (12)

12.1. The Committee will make appropriate reference to the ethical guidelines developed by Nicola Peart and David Holloway on health research with children. Applicants planning research with children as participants are required to consult these guidelines which are also relevant to research other than health research. The guidelines should be read together with the broad principles which follow below.

12.2. The particular vulnerability of children makes consideration of the ethical issues surrounding their involvement in research particularly important. To safeguard their interests and to protect them from harm, special consideration will be given to such ethical issues.

12.3. Well-conducted and appropriate research involving children is important for the benefit of all children and should be supported and encouraged.

12.4. Requirements which apply to research involving children as participants will be additional to those routinely applying to adult participants.

12.5. Research involving children as participants should only be undertaken if comparable research with adults could not answer the same question and if the purpose of the research is to obtain knowledge relevant to the needs of children.

12.6. Children are not small adults; they have their own unique set of interests.

12.7. A prime consideration in any research involving children is that it is not against the interests of any individual child participant. However, research which is not intended directly to benefit a child participant is not necessarily unethical.

12.8. Legally valid consent should be obtained from the child, parent or guardian as appropriate depending on the age of the child. In general, the following guidelines should be observed:

• The consent of a child of or over the age of sixteen must be obtained.  Where such consent is obtained, AUTEC reserves the right to require parental or guardian’s consent as well if it is deemed necessary.
• If the child is below the age of sixteen but is able to understand the risks and consequences of the research, the consent of the child must be obtained.  Where such consent is obtained, AUTEC reserves the right to require parental or guardian’s consent as well if it is deemed necessary.
• If the child is below the age of sixteen and is unable to understand the risks and consequences of the research, parental or guardian’s consent must be obtained. Where such consent is obtained, the assent of the child must also be obtained unless the child is unable to communicate.

12.9. No inducements should be offered to children, parents or guardians to persuade them to agree to their participation or that of their children in a research project. Small gifts after the completion of the project and/or compensation for expenses incurred in participation may be offered.

12.10. Potential child participants must be provided with full information about the research in a form which they can readily understand. The style and content of information must both inform fully and be appropriate to the participants’ level of understanding.

12.11. Pressure must not be placed on a child to agree to participate in a research project.  This is particularly important given the power imbalance between adult researchers and children.