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Limitations Of IRB Protocols In Working With Children

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In addition to working with incarcerated populations, working with children also presents a host of limitations and hurdles to overcome. Numerous safeguards are required when working with children, particularly because children may not be mature enough to give informed consent. The study will follow respective IRB protocols in working with children, including receiving informed consent from the child’s guardian, explaining the research to the child in an age-appropriate manner, and receiving consent from the child. Questions will be crafted in a way that minimizes trauma for the child, licensed social workers will be made available to the child and family throughout the study, and social workers will be consulted if it is believed that the study may need to be terminated due to trauma or harmful impacts to the mother/child relationships. Again, by using triangulation, information that may not be appropriate to receive directly from the child, information that the child cannot recall, or information that the child may be hesitant to disclose due to the fact that researchers and social workers are often mandated reporters will be triangulated from other interviews and observations. A further limitation is the fact that the large boundaries of the study -including the school system, incarceration system, and entire family structure- are daunting and can potentially result in a lack of depth within each case. However, having just five to ten cases that include

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