The lived parental experience of child- to-parent abuse in Northern Ireland
Invitation
If you have completed the Parenting NI ‘walking on egg shells’ programme you are being invited to take part in a research study which seeks to explore the experiences of parents and carers who have encountered child-to-parent abuse. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being undertaken and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.
The study is being undertaken by Elizabeth Cowdean, an MSc Psychology student at Queens University Belfast and is being supervised by Dr. Katrina Mc Laughlin. This research study has been approved by the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Ethic Committee at Queen’s University Belfast.
What is the research about?
Child and adolescent abuse towards their parent/s or carer/s is a worldwide phenomenon and furthermore is increasing at an alarming rate. However, to date very little research has been taken into this area (as opposed to other forms of family violence). Therefore, the main aim of this research is to understand this experience that is present within many homes and effects many families. We want to learn more about what parents and carers have to say about child-to-parent abuse and what can be done to prevent it. We also want to find out about the ‘Walking on eggshells’ programme and what it was like taking part in it.
What would I be asked to do if I took part?
The interview will be conducted by Elizabeth Cowdean, an Msc Psychology student from Queens University Belfast who will help you talk about your experiences by posing a few questions. This interview is an opportunity for you to tell your story. Elizabeth will help you identify which aspects you most want to talk about and will be interested in hearing whatever you think is important about your experiences of child-to-parent abuse.
The interview will take approximately 60 minutes and will take place in the Parenting NI Belfast office, within a room where other people cannot hear what you are saying and in which you feel comfortable. This interview will be recorded so that there is an accurate record of what has been said. You can ask for the recording to be stopped at any time during the interview.
What about confidentiality?
After the interview, Elizabeth will listen to the recording and type up what was said, your interview will then be deleted from the audio recorder. All recording equipment and typed up interviews will be kept securely in a locked environment. Within any written transcripts or finished typed materials your name (and the names of any other identifiable people or places) will be changed to aid anonymity.
Everything you say in the interview is completely confidential and will be anonymised within the written dissertation. However, if someone who is being interviewed did say that they, or someone else, were at risk of harm or danger then Elizabeth would be obliged to inform another person about this.
What happens to the collected data?
When the interviews have finished Elizabeth will look at the interviews that have been conducted as she will want to use quotes from interviews in the written material she will produce from this research. Elizabeth will remove any information which could be used to identify you or anyone else you have mentioned during the interview. The written material will be used to help those who work in the area of child- to-parent abuse to better understand the perspectives of parents and carers affected by this form of abuse/violence.
What happens if I do not want to take part or change my mind?
You do not have to take part in the research if you do not want to. Feel free to ask Elizabeth any questions that you have about taking part and if you do decide to take part, you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer.
If you change your mind about being involved in the research you can stop the interview at any time without having to explain your reason for doing so.
If you wish to withdraw from the study after your interview has taken place you can do so and ask that any information you supplied (which will now be in the form of an audio recording or a typed transcript) be withdrawn or destroyed. Elizabeth must be contacted and informed of your decision no later than one week after the interview has been conducted.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Elizabeth. Please do so by emailing: ecowdean01@qub.ac.uk
