Can close to, be too close? Ethical dilemmas when doing fieldwork with children, young people and others, in vulnerable positions

Drawing on experience from our research with children and young people in conflictual and vulnerable positions, we argue that situated ethical dilemmas appears and are perhaps particularly persisting in this type of research. In this presentation, we discuss how the very close relation between researcher and research participant, poses certain ethical dilemmas.

When doing our research on and with children and young people, we often experience that a, although timely limited, close and sensitive relation between researcher and participant develops. In some cases, the sensitivity of research topics invites the participants to share intimate details on their thoughts and life. When the participants are meet with understanding and empathy from the researcher, a bond between the two develops. In other cases, the close relations between researcher and participants displays a lack in the participant’s lives (e.g. children in difficult positions lacking empathic and neutral adults to talk to). In our research practice, we often welcome this close relation and conscientiously provides the participants with the compassion they seek. However we also experience dilemmas as to which extend we are able to redeem the expectations that could be created about the further development of that close relation. We will elaborate on and discuss how to comprehend and manage this ethical dilemma.