At-risk youth are often excluded from research. Without eliciting their views, subtle but important factors influencing decision-making processes and self-conceptualization may be missed. Engaging this population in research is a means of respecting and affirming them as individuals, and is central to developing effective policies. However, efforts to engage with at-risk youth can be hampered by barriers such as the need to overcome distrust resulting from repeated trauma or stigmatization, and limited research opportunities with this hard-to-reach population. This presentation describes lessons learned from a yearlong study examining the lived experiences of at-risk youth at a Taiwanese placement facility for teenage boys in foster care or juvenile court. Researchers used a strengths-based approach to explore health needs and sources of resiliency and support through Photovoice, a qualitative research method in which participants produce photographs and narratives to communicate their perspectives. Researchers found that at-risk youth may lack the introspective or communication skills to express themselves, especially verbally, and are often unaccustomed to being asked to articulate their views in a research study. The presenters will discuss the six lessons learned in this research: 1) consider ethical challenges, 2) use symbolism, 3) develop mutual trust with participants, 4) take time to develop participants’ introspective skills, 5) disseminate study results widely, and 6) include participant empowerment as a key objective. These lessons may be helpful for others implementing similar studies in order to promote social justice among this population.
Victor Hsiao is a medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He has a passion for global health and working with at-risk youth, leading him to conduct a Photovoice study examining the social determinants of health among Taiwanese teenage boys in foster care and juvenile justice.
Mellissa Withers is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Her research interests are gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health. She has published more than 35 scientific articles, is the editor of two books, and writes a blog on human trafficking for Psychology Today.