Although children are recognized as social actors in the social sciences,
ethical issues in research following from this new view have received less
attention. Ethical considerations are part of any research project, but it
is often argued that research among children raises some particular
issues. I shall reflect on my emotional involvement and ethical issues on
the basis of the principles of informed consent, maximum benefit and
protection from harm and the influence of my interpreters on these issues.
Doing research to children and young people in such difficult situations
requires emotion work. In the conclusions I will make some suggestions
for dealing with the emotions of respondents and one own emotional
involvement.
Keywords:Ethical dilemmas; childhood; informed consent; emotion
work; child-headed householdsINTRODUCTION
One afternoon after school time I visited Marc and Janin, both 13 years old,
for an interview. They lived in a modest two bed room house, without much
furniture. Marc and Janin lived with Janin’s grandmother, who was Marc’s
mother, before she died a few months before we met. Although they could
move in with their grandmother, Marc and Janin argued they did not want
to because her partner was known to be violent. She visited the children
occasionally and brought them some food. A neighbour said she kept an eye
on the children and sometimes also gave them food. However, according to
the children, they mostly went to school without breakfast and at school they
hoped friends would share some of their food with them. Some nights of the
week they went to bed hungry.
Because I was aware that they depended on others for food, I brought
them some food the day I visited them for an interview. I suggested that they
would first make a sandwich before the interview. Because they did not return
from the kitchen, I went to the kitchen to ask if they were almost finished
making their sandwich. However, when I came in they were gobbling up all
the bread which made me realize how hungry they actually were.
When we sat down for the interview, someone was at the door. When the
children send the person away I asked them what she wanted. They explained
that it was one of the neighbours asking them for food. But, I answered, they
must know that the situation you are both in, why do they ask you for food?
They answered that they always did that when I visited them, because they
62 DIANA VAN DIJK