Research involving children : recent developments and current trends in thinking

Children today hold an important place in society and are valued for what they offer. They represent society’s hopes for the future. Children in the western world have rights today, but historically this has not always been the case. In the UK, children are protected by the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004, and by various other charters, guidelines and government policies concerning their health and welfare. Internationally, organisations such as UNICEF and Save the Children were set up to confer protection and oversee support to children as the most vulnerable group of a population in war or disaster zones (Greig et al, 2007). However, this happy state of affairs (the positive view) with regard to children is by no means universal. We need to be mindful that many children, both in the UK and further afield, still suffer the debilitating effects of poverty, hardship and hunger, they lack basic amenities such as water, sanitation and healthcare, or access to a basic education, and many are subject to violence, abuse and neglect