The Willingness of Minor Subjects to Participate in Research on Commercial Sexual Exploitation When Parental Consent is Required

• In Event: Innovative Approaches to Engaging Hard-to-Reach Populations: Insights from Minor Sex Trafficking Research

Abstract

The requirement of parental consent in research conducted with young people under 18 is a well-established principle of human subjects protection. Requiring parental consent in situations where young people experience stigmatizing forms of victimization, such as commercial sexual exploitation, could place youth in situations where their experiences could be unintentionally disclosed to their parents or guardians, potentially placing the youth at risk for physical or emotional harm. Fatal sampling bias also may occur by only including those who are comfortable sharing their experiences, and in some cases, sexual activity or sexual orientation, with their parents. Human subjects boards may consider waivers of parental consent, weighing the benefits of the proposed research with the risks of minors participating in research that has not been consented to through traditional mechanisms. To date, little research has existed that informs of our understanding of the risk that parental consent poses to minors who experience commercial sexual exploitation. Utilizing data from a survey of 500 minors who experienced or are at high risk for experiencing (CSE), we examine responses to questions about their likelihood of participating in surveys if parental consent had been required. Comparisons are drawn between the responses of minors who are recruited through different mechanisms and those with different levels of structural marginalization.

Authors

• Amy Farrell, Northeastern University

• Sarah Lockwood, University of South Florida

• Amelia Wagner, Northeastern University

• Carlos Cuevas, Northeastern University