Ethics and the UNCRC (1989)
Participation versus protection rights and research.
Getting data from children.
Ethical issues when children are the participants.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC, is the basis of all of Unicef’s work. It is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history.
The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. It also explains how adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.
Every child has rights, whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status.
The Convention must be seen as a whole: all the rights are linked and no right is more important that another. The right to relax and play (Article 31) and the right to freedom of expression (Article 13) have equal importance as the right to be safe from violence (Article 19) and the right to education (Article 28).
We are the only organisation working for children recognised by the Convention.
The UNCRC is also the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world – it’s even been accepted by non-state entities, such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), a rebel movement in South Sudan. All UN member states except for the United States have ratified the Convention.
There are four articles in the convention that are seen as special. They’re known as the “General Principles” and they help to interpret all the other articles and play a fundamental role in realising all the rights in the Convention for all children. They are:
Non-discrimination (article 2)
Best interest of the child (article 3)
Right to life survival and development (article 6)
Right to be heard (article 12)
Others relevant to psychological research include:
Every child has the right to express their feelings and for these to be taken seriously.
Article 18 of the UNCRC says that a child or young person's parents will normally have the main responsibility for bringing them up. They should both do this, both share responsibilities, and both be concerned with the best interests of the child or young person in their care.
Under the UNCRC Article 16 children have the right to privacy
Children are unable to give informed consent themselves.
The BPS guidelines specify that participants should not be distressed or harmed.
Children’s participation in research should consider the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).
Researchers must make sure they are competent enough to deal with any issues that arise with children.
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation (1969) study was deemed unethical due to the distress caused to the children on separation from their parent, although short term.
Ainsworth (1969) had full parental consent and the mothers could stop the study if they felt the children were distressed.
Watson and Rayner (1920) caused distress for Little Albert during their research on conditioning his fear response.
In Curtiss (1977) the researchers believed that they were improving the quality of life of Genie and making her situation better.
Evaluate whether research involving children can be conducted with sufficient ethical considerations. (8) June 2017
Evaluate, using the UNCRC, how far Watson and Rayner’s (1920) study promotes the rights of the child. (8) June 2018
Describe two ethical issues Sophia should have taken into account when she carried out her research. (2) October 2019
Assess whether research into attachment can be considered ethical. (8) January 2020