(Student’s Full Name)
International research guidelines require that “children provide assent for participation” in a recent studies and “their parent’s consent” (Baines 960). However, these guidelines have been considered to be controversial. This is because the international research guidelines can be confusing as it pertains to the definition of assent and who will be eligible for providing assent or consent. It has been posited that relying on both child’s assent and the parent’s consent is unethical because it can affect the relationship between the child and the parent. Therefore, based on the evidence provided, it can be argued that assent for children’s participation in research is incoherent because if the child has the ability to consent there is no reason to give assent and if the child cannot give consent, the parent or guardian should be able to grant that. In addition, it is wrong because neither the child nor the parent should be given the right to overrule each other because this can affect their relationship.
Requesting for both assent and consent is unnecessary if the child or the adult has the ability to consent on his own. Baines argues that it is problematic for the researchers if the child’s assent can be “over-ruled” since this can allow the research to be “withheld” and it would be non-sensical to ask the child for an assent in the first place (961). Similarly, a research study’s progress can be halted or, at the very least, slowed down if the parent’s consent can be “over-ruled” by a child’s assent (961). In the second case, if the parent’s consent can be over-ruled then it would not be rational to ask for this parent’s consent from the onset. Furthermore, if the international research guidelines require that both parent’s consent and the child’s assent then “consent” is not, in fact, truly “consent” (Baines 961). This is because consent is typically enough to authorize the procession of a “course of action” (Baines 961). In addition, in medical treatment both consent from the parent and assent from the child are not required. Therefore, this appears to suggest that the “justification for treatment and research” are obviously “different” (Baines 962). Therefore, this creates added confusion and causes one to question why there are different requirements for children’s “participation” in research compared to children’s “participation” in medical treatment (Baines 962).
Guidelines asking for both the consent of the parent and the assent of the child for participation in a research study are made even more confusing by the fact that clear definitions are not provided for the words “assent” and “consent” (Baines 961). Baines explains that there are varying definitions for the word “assent” (Baines 961). The academic explains that although some international research guidelines “attempt a definition” the meaning of the word “assent” is unclear (Baines 960). Some guidelines define the word “assent” as “‘affirmative agreement,’” “active agreement,” “knowing agreement,” or “‘acquiescence’” (Baines 961). All of the above definitions run the “gamut” from “expressed (or positive assent)” through to “acquiescence” (Baines 961). Therefore, the word “assent” can be interpreted in a number of ways (Baines 961). Additionally, there is another is no clear age limit that is indicated for a child who has the “ability to consent” (Baines 961). American research guidelines indicate that “school age children should assent” since they do not have the necessary skills to provide consent (Baines 961). However, it should be left to the judgment of the “institutional review board” (Baines 961). Other guidelines indicate that children who are aged over seven years “should assent” (Baines 961). On the other hand, research guidelines influenced British laws suggest that children 14 years and over are able to provide consent, but “assent” is not mentioned (Baines 961). These contradictory stipulations have created a significant amount of confusion and cause many researchers to lack the clarification needed to deal with ethical issues related to the participation of children in research studies. Therefore, in order to avoid much of this confusion, it is recommended that children who are emotionally and mentally competent provide consent while those who are not should rely on their parents’ consent to authorize their participation in research studies.
Additionally, it should be noted that it is wrong ask for the assent of a child’s participation in research studies as well as the parent’s consent because it cause a rift to be created in the relationship between the parent and the child. If the child is allowed to choose to participate in a research study against the wishes of her parents, this can create “tensions” within the family unit as it pertains to the decision-making process in that family (Baines 962). The same scenario is also created if the parents are placed in a position to “veto” the decisions made by the child (Baines 962). Therefore, it should be recognized that if a child has the ability to make decisions on her own then she should be allowed to do so. However, if the researcher requires an “assent” from the child and the consent of the parent then the researcher is rejecting the notion that an emotionally and mentally “competent” child has the ability to make his decisions on his own (Baines 962). This is morally wrong and the researcher should acknowledge the “autonomy” of an emotionally and mentally “competent” child (Baines 962). Moreover, it should be acknowledged that a child’s participation in research should take into consideration the child’s interests and he should not be “exposed to the risks” that mature persons are willing to accept (Baines 962).
In conclusion, it can be argued that international research guidelines requiring a child’s assent and parent’s consent is incoherent and wrong. Firstly, it is incoherent because the definition of assent is not clearly given in the international research guidelines as well as who is eligible to provide assent. Secondly, if a child is competent enough to provide consent for a participation in a research study, the child should be allowed to do so instead of giving an assent or the parent should be asked to give consent. Lastly, the guidelines requiring that a child’s assent and a parent’s consent is wrong because this could affect the relationship of the parent and the child if either of them is given the chance to over-rule the other. Therefore, it can be suggested that the changes be made to the international research guidelines should ask for a “consent” from “competent” children and “consent” from the parents if their children is “incompetent” (Baines 960).
Work Cited
Baines, P. “Assent for Children's Participation in Research Is Incoherent and Wrong.” Archives of Disease in Childhood 96.10 (2011): 960-62. Web. 14 July 2016.
