Module 5 Assignment 1
Protected Populations in Research
Because decades ago, prior to the establishment of IRBs, some researchers took far too many liberties with human populations, IRB rules and regulations have put in place even greater protection for certain human populations. Populations that are deemed vulnerable or protected include minors (anyone under age eighteen), prisoners, people who are mentally challenged, people who are mentally ill, people who are homeless, people who are physically disabled, older adults, pregnant women, and anyone who is cognitively impaired (such as someone with a traumatic brain injury or dementia). Minors include anyone under the age of eighteen years. Someone who is seventeen years and ten months old is considered just as much a minor as someone who is seventeen days old. Generally, most populations other than healthy adults aged between eighteen and fifty-five years are protected.
The IRB will review applications involving protected or vulnerable populations even more thoroughly than research that does not involve those groups. Further, the IRB is also cautious in cases of research of a sensitive nature, such as trauma, abuse, or sexual behavior.
The purpose of classifying some groups as protected or vulnerable is to acknowledge that some individuals might not be able to understand the informed consent process, including any possible risks associated with the research. For example, a minor cannot actually legally give full consent. He or she can give what is called assent, and his or her parent or legal guardian must give full consent for the minor to participate in research. So research on minors involves consent from both minors and their parents or legal guardians. Similarly, research on individuals with brain injury or dementia might also require additional consent from their legal guardians.
Other groups are protected in order to ensure that they are not coerced into participating in research. For example, offering to compensate incarcerated or homeless individuals $100 for participating in a twenty-minute research study would be considered coercive, because these groups are likely to have no other way of earning that amount of money. Essentially, offering them so much money to participate would compel them to agree to be involved in the research (i.e., coercion) rather than having them participate of their own volition. It is acceptable to compensate participants, but any such incentives must not be so high that they are considered coercive, which holds true regardless of whether the group is protected or not.
To further explore ethics in forensic research, take a moment to read the following article from the University online library resources:
Ethical Issues in Forensic and Correctional Research
