Ethical issues in qualitative research addressing sensitive issues with children and young people

This chapter is written for researchers who are preparing to conduct qualitative research with young people under 18 years of age and members of ethics committees who must evaluate proposals for such research. It outlines best practice research ethics and methods into sensitive issues, such as sexuality, emphasising the consideration of differences between adults and young people, power differentials, issues of confidentiality, and harm minimisation. The chapter argues that qualitative research methods are especially appropriate for researching sensitive issues with young people, facilitating reflexive research design and implementation, and creating safe spaces for young people as active research participants.