Ethics with children and the UNCRC (1989)

The UNCRC

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) sets out the rights of everyone under 18. Its four general principles:

• Article 2: non-discrimination.
• Article 3: the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration.
• Article 6: the right to life, survival and development.
• Article 12: the right to express views freely and have them taken seriously (right to be heard).

Other relevant articles: 13 freedom of expression, 16 privacy, 19 protection from violence and harm, 28 education, 31 play. The Convention must be read as a whole.

Participation versus protection rights

• Participation rights (Articles 12 and 13): children should be heard and involved, including in research about their lives. Excluding children 'for their protection' can silence them.
• Protection rights (Articles 3, 16 and 19): children must be kept safe from harm and their privacy respected.

The tension: protecting children (for example, only asking parents) can deny participation; involving children fully may expose them to risk. Good research balances both: children take part and are heard, with safeguards.

Collecting data from children

• Consent: parents or guardians give consent for children (under 16 in BPS guidance); researchers should also seek the child's own assent in language they understand, and gatekeepers (schools) may need to agree.
• Right to withdraw: children may not feel able to say no to an adult; researchers should watch for signs of distress or reluctance and stop.
• Protection from harm: no more than everyday distress; the Strange Situation causes mild distress, so episodes are cut short if infants are very upset and mothers can stop it (Ainsworth also had parental consent).
• Confidentiality and privacy: data kept anonymous (Article 16).
• Power: adults have power over children; Punch (2002) notes trust takes time.
• Methods: use age-appropriate tasks (drawings, play), short sessions, familiar settings and researchers trained to work with children.

Applying it

Classic studies can be judged against the UNCRC. Watson and Rayner (1920) deliberately conditioned fear in Little Albert, breaching Articles 3 and 19 (best interests, protection from harm). Ainsworth's Strange Situation involves mild distress but includes safeguards. Exam questions often ask you to apply the UNCRC and the BPS Code to a scenario.

Worked example

A researcher wants to video 4-year-olds playing at nursery. Apply two UNCRC articles to her plans.

1. **Article 12** (right to be heard): ask the children themselves, in simple language, whether they are happy to be filmed, and respect a 'no'.
2. **Article 16** (privacy): keep videos secure, anonymise names and destroy footage after analysis.
3. Also get parental consent and the nursery's agreement as gatekeeper.

Answer: Seek the children's assent (Article 12) and protect their privacy (Article 16), with parental consent.

Check yourself

1. Which UNCRC article gives children the right to express their views and have them taken seriously?
   • Article 3
   • Article 12
   • Article 19
   • Article 28
   Show answer

   Article 12. Article 12 is the right to be heard.

2. Article 3 of the UNCRC states that
   • children have the right to education
   • children have the right to play
   • children have the right to privacy
   • the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration
   Show answer

   the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration. Best interests.

3. Which right is a protection right?
   • The right to be heard (Article 12)
   • Protection from violence and harm (Article 19)
   • Freedom of expression (Article 13)
   • The right to take part in decisions
   Show answer

   Protection from violence and harm (Article 19). Article 19 protects.

4. Why should researchers seek a child's assent as well as parental consent?
   • It replaces the need for parental consent
   • It is required only for adults
   • It respects the child's right to be heard and to decide whether to take part
   • It makes the study shorter
   Show answer

   It respects the child's right to be heard and to decide whether to take part. Participation rights (Article 12).

5. The UNCRC applies to everyone under what age?
   Show answer

   18. Under 18.

6. Which UNCRC principle did Watson and Rayner (1920) most clearly breach?
   • The right to education
   • The right to play
   • Protection from harm and the child's best interests
   • Non-discrimination
   Show answer

   Protection from harm and the child's best interests. They deliberately created fear in an infant.

7. Explain the tension between participation rights and protection rights in research with children.
   Show answer

   Participation rights say children should be heard and involved in research about them, but protection rights say they must be kept safe from harm, so protecting them by excluding them can deny their voice, while involving them can expose them to risk.. Both rights and why they conflict.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification, Issue 6 (November 2024, first assessment January 2026)
• UNICEF: Convention on the Rights of the Child, full text (United Nations, 1989)
• Punch (2002), Research with children: the same or different from research with adults?, Childhood 9(3)
• British Psychological Society, Code of Ethics and Conduct (August 2009)

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.