Lh. Glantz, CONDUCTING RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN - LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(10), 1996, pp. 1283-1291
Research with children and mentally disabled individuals raises diffic
ult legal and ethical issues. It is the obligation of researchers and
those who review research to protect both the rights and welfare of re
search subjects. Ethicists, legal scholars, and national commissions h
ave examined the circumstances under which it is acceptable to use inc
ompetent people as research subjects, since they are unable to provide
consent for participation. Furthermore, there is an extensive set of
federal rules that govern the use of children as research subjects. Ch
ildren may be used as research subjects after a careful weighing of ri
sks and benefits, and as long as they participate in the decision to t
he extent they are able to do so. However, research projects that will
not provide children with direct benefit, such as some placebo-contro
lled trials, raise particularly difficult issues concerning the protec
tion of these subjects. While biomedical research is an important and
socially desirable undertaking, it must proceed only when the rights a
nd welfare of the subjects are scrupulously protected.