Alderson, P;
(2007)
Competent children? Minors' consent to health care treatment and research.
Soc Sci Med
, 65
(11)
pp. 2272-2283.
10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.08.005.
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Abstract
This paper concentrates on controversies about children's consent, and reviews how children's changing status as competent decision makers about healthcare and research has gradually gained greater respect. Criteria for competence have moved from age towards individual children's experience and understanding. Uncertain and shifting concepts of competence and its identification with adulthood and childhood are examined, together with levels of decision-making and models for assessing children's competence. Risks and uncertainties, methods of calculating the frequency and severity of risks, the concept of 'therapeutic research' and problems of expanding consent beyond its remit are considered. The paper ends by considering how strengths and limitations in children's status and capacities to consent can be mirrored in researchers' and practitioners' own status and capacities. Examples are drawn from empirical research studies about decision-making in healthcare and research involving children in the UK.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Competent children? Minors' consent to health care treatment and research. |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.08.005 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.08.005 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Adolescent, Adult, Child, Comprehension, Decision Making, Humans, Informed Consent, Mental Competency, Minors, Parent-Child Relations, Patient Participation, Professional-Patient Relations, Research Subjects, Therapeutics, United Kingdom |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1480875 |
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