Traditionally, research on issues affecting children and young people has tended to focus more on younger children, (the under-fives and school age children) or vulnerable children (orphans, ‘street children’ or child labourers). Similarly, many research and policy narratives have focused on the problems that children face, without always recognising how their choices – their agency – and their creativity can help in making the best of challenging circumstances.
This Key Issues Guide, sponsored by the Impact Initiative, draws on a recent synthesis of research outputs focusing on children and young people from the ESRC-DFID Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation. It highlights research that directly engaged young people, through peer research and participatory practice for example, or looked at the factors that enable (or indeed inhibit) their ability to influence what happens in their lives.