Promoting Children's Rights and Protections in Program Evaluation

The Nuremberg Code established ethics for the involvement of humans in research, initially in the area of health and medical research. While aspects of the code have been extended to the social and behavioral sciences, program evaluation does not always implement those policies, procedures, and protocols for protecting research participants, particularly children. Drawing on a children's rights framework and highlighting participatory and trauma-informed approaches, this article explores the areas of consent, assent, cultural considerations, protocol/data collection procedure review, and participant safety. It proposes recommendations that fit a range of evaluation settings and resource level.