Ethical problems in research on families who are abusing children
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Updated: Oct 29, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
E Paavilainen1, P Astedt-Kurki, M Paunonen
1University of Tampere, Department of Nursing Science, Finland.
Abstract:
Child abuse within the family is a highly sensitive issue and therefore difficult to research. This article is based on our experiences of a child abuse research project in Finland. Special attention is given to ethical considerations during the initiation of the study, and in the sampling procedures, data collection and reporting. Most importantly, all those taking part in studies on sensitive issues must be guaranteed full confidentiality and anonymity. There are also other ethical considerations that go beyond the usual concerns in the research process.
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