About this study

The last 20 years has seen a big increase in research with children and young people. This has been accompanied by intense debate about the ethical issues associated with interviewing children under 16.

This NatCen-funded study explored the views of children themselves on issues like consent, confidentiality and disclosure in relation to taking part in surveys.

You can read a summary of the findings here or click the red button on the right hand side of the screen to download the full report.

Potential policy impact

The study raises a wide range of issues of relevance to anyone doing research with children and young people.

Methods

Eight focus groups were conducted with children aged 7 to 15 in four London schools. The researchers used a specially produced video, which showed various hypothetical issues that might arise around a child's participation in a survey, to stimulate discussion.