ABSTRACT
Twenty-first century children now have a range of rights that seemed inconceivable prior to the ratification in 1989 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The purpose of this chapter is to examine these rights in the context of young children’s research participation. Current ideas about children as competent actors within the research process will be explored, along with a review of the literature on children’s rights, and young children’s participation in research. Complex considerations around informed consent and competence are also considered. The review found that even young children hold the full spectrum of children’s rights, and all of the related ideas about participation apply equally to them. Their meaningful participation in research should be supported by researchers, and materials and processes should be carefully crafted to meet the needs of individual children. The review establishes the need for young children to be provided with information that they can understand as part of the informed consent process to enable them to make informed, autonomous decisions. The review concludes with a discussion of the competence of young children as sophisticated thinkers who are capable of engaging with important issues.
