Ethical issues in community-based research with children and youth

Abstract

Efforts to apply ethical guidelines and regulations to vulnerable populations are often problematic. Consequently, health and social scientists sometimes shy away from the challenges of research, particularly when it means addressing value-laden social problems such as sexuality, drugs, and racism. This collection of original essays discusses the unique challenges of community-based research, outlining many of the ethical concerns that it engenders. The contributors examine such issues as the complexity and scope of informed consent in situations involving multiple stakeholders, the protection of privacy and maintaining consent, weighing benefits and preventing harm, and research with groups. The volume suggests that a more collaborative and sustained approach is needed by researchers and by ethical review boards to ensure that research on sensitive social problems with high-risk populations receives adequate support, and that it is conducted with a clear understanding of the potential problems and with the highest ethical standards possible