Ethical guidelines for program and research implementation with socially marginalized youth within virtual spaces

Authors

  • Daniel E. Inwood University of Chicago
  • Adaurennaya C. Onyewuenyi College of New Jersey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jcycw.2025.471

Keywords:

Child and youth care ethics

Abstract

Youth-centered practitioners and researchers often use the virtual space to recruit, collect data, and implement programs for hard-to-reach and socially marginalized children, youth, and young adult populations. This approach has increased research and program development with understudied populations that are less accessible through traditional in-person recruitment strategies. Although the online space has been widely used for nearly three decades, there are still no universal guidelines for youth-centered practitioners and researchers who engage in such methods. Guided by The 2024 Standards of Practice of North American Child and Youth Care Professionals and case study examples, this article highlights three critical ethical problems and best practices for mutually constitutive engagement with socially marginalized youth in the virtual space. Although each youth-centered program or study is designed with its particular participants and their unique needs in mind, these best practices are widely applicable.

References

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Published

2025-10-22

How to Cite

Inwood, D. E., & Onyewuenyi, A. C. (2025). Ethical guidelines for program and research implementation with socially marginalized youth within virtual spaces. Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 31. https://doi.org/10.5195/jcycw.2025.471

Issue

Vol. 31 (2025): Special Ethics Edition

Section

Special Features

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Copyright (c) 2025 Daniel E. Inwood, Adaurennaya C. Onyewuenyi

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