METHODOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO STUDYING CHILD MALTREATMENT

Research about child abuse and neglect is very complex methodologicall y and ethically. There are not yet uniform research definitions of the problem and the lack of prospective population-based research limits the ability to make progress. To date researchers have been reluctant to ask children directly about their maltreatment experiences because of perceptions of ethical and legal responsibilities. This article beg ins with a brief review of existing research about the scope and conse quences of child abuse and neglect We address methodological considera tions that are especially pertinent to research about child maltreatme nt, including the definition of the problem, study design, and issues of causality and bias. We conclude with a discussion of ethical and le gal issues that arise in the course of carrying out such research, inc luding issues related to subject recruitment, informed consent, confid entiality, and reporting.