Research with minors
Balance protection, agency and voluntary participation
Research with minors requires age-appropriate information, attention to capacity and ongoing assent or consent, suitable parental or guardian involvement, and safeguarding arrangements. Gatekeepers grant access but cannot replace an individual’s voluntary participation. Teacher authority, confidentiality limits, disclosures and accessible withdrawal need planning. Requirements depend on jurisdiction, institution and study; children’s participation rights matter alongside protection from harm.
Use this framework before recruiting children or using identifiable child-related data, particularly in schools where educational authority and access arrangements could blur the difference between routine activity and voluntary research.
Strengths
- Makes children’s agency and communication needs explicit
- Clarifies responsibilities before sensitive situations arise
Limitations
- Gatekeeper control can exclude or pressure participants
- Overly protective processes can silence children’s perspectives
Know the boundary
School permission does not by itself constitute a pupil’s consent. The cited DfE statutory guidance applies to England, not automatically the whole UK.