Facilitating justice-Involved children to become partners in youth justice research

• In Event: Challenges in qualitative research I

Abstract

The ‘Child First, examining children's meaningful collaboration in the Youth Justice System’ research project is using an overarching qualitative design of participatory interpretivism and developing an innovative methodology to identify how justice involved children can be facilitated to influence the design of research concerning them. The study’s methodology builds on pockets of evolving innovative and progressive youth justice participatory research that have materialised in recent years in the United Kingdom.
The research project investigates children’s experiences and perceptions of their collaboration in youth justice decision-making and ‘effective’ practice. The participatory methodology, includes children in the research design, implementation and evaluation processes by convening a Project Reference Group of justice-involved children to co-design every research stage, ensuring a child-centric focus is maintained throughout. Participatory creative methods were explored, with the PRG, enabling the children to communicate and express themselves in diverse ways for more accessible participation. Additionally, these methods have supported relationship building, enabling children to use their knowledge and ideas, develop creativity and communication skills, all contributing to neutralise power relationships.
We will share emerging findings, from developing this innovative approach, revealing the challenges of accessing participants, ongoing engagement and group dynamics, the significance of building trusting and authentic relationships with children, using clear communication to ensure understanding, and offering children a choice of creative activities to meet interests, abilities and needs. This project extends knowledge in this evolving methodology in the field of youth justice and offers significant benefits by developing a framework for future expectation of children’s full participation in youth justice research, by positioning children as co-researchers in research concerning them.

Authors

• Kathy Hampson, Aberystwyth University

• Andrea Nisbet, Loughborough University

• Stephen Case, Loughborough University, UK