The Value of Child Participation in Research—A Qualitative Child-Centered Approach to the Early Development of an Empowerment Inventory for Children

Abstract

Child participation has become a conscious goal for support services related to children and young people, but there is still uncertainty regarding how this can be facilitated. This study explores the value of children’s participation in research and is based on a “child-centred” approach to the early development of a participation tool called the “Sense of Empowerment Inventory for Children” (SEIC). The main finding in this study concerns both the specific changes that were proposed by the children and how this affected the quality of the tool, but also how the children’s involvement had an impact on understanding participation as a process. This study adds knowledge to a methodological approach that supports the value and benefit of including children in participatory processes in research.