Submitted by crinadmin on
The Refugee Studies Centre of the Queen Elizabeth House (Oxford University) has recently produced a working paper on "Research with Children Living in Situations of Armed Conflict". The impact of modern armed conflict on the world’s children has been devastating. According to the United Nations, during the last decade 2 million children have been killed, more than 1 million have been orphaned, and over 6 million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled. Approximately 800 children are killed or seriously injured by landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXOs) every month. The UN High Commissioner for the Refugees (UNHCR) currently offers support to 7.7 million refugee children. In addition, around 25 million people are believed to be internally displaced, of whom 40–50 per cent are likely to be under the age of 18 years. Research about children’s lives conducted in the volatile setting of armed conflict places particular demands upon researchers. The suggestion that researchers should, whenever possible and appropriate, involve children as meaningful participants in that research may seem unreasonable or inappropriate. However, the production of this paper has been motivated by the conviction that participatory research is especially valuable because of the emergency context. Firstly, such an approach is likely to yield richer and more detailed data than a conventional, adult-led approach. These data can be invaluable to the design of interventions. Secondly, engagement in well-planned research activities can offer direct benefits for young participants by enhancing their skills and awareness. In settings of conflict where the young may be required to play an expanded role in their own protection and in the care of others, their personal development is especially important. The aim here is to equip researchers to most safely and profitably pursue participatory research with children and, to that end, this paper explores the specific conceptual, ethical and methodological issues concerned. Further information
Owner: Jason Hart and Bex Tyrerpdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/oxford_jh_cs.pdf