Case Study 2: Investigation on the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and the effect on interpersonal relationships in adulthood.
Risk Analysis:
Inmates were chosen at random, while the study was specifically trying to analyze the effect of childhood trauma and the effect on interpersonal relationships. Inmates are a vulnerable population, and therefore there is greater risk when interviewing this population of people (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2006). Also, doing a random sampling, but then interviewing the subjects face-to-face could lead to participants not feeling comfortable to disclose these traumatic events. The also may not want to be identified by the investigators in a face-to-face interview. There also could be a risk for psychological harm from the participants being asked to bring up these memories. Will there be licensed counselors available for participants during and after this research investigation is finished? There is also a bias built into this study because it is assuming that traumatic childhood experiences only happen to incarcerated individuals, because they are only a sampling from a correctional facility. Adult interpersonal relationships in prison are much different than those adults not incarcerated. Also the correctional facility is going to be all male or all female inmates and the study does not differentiate the criteria.
Benefit Analysis:
The benefits of the study for society could be to learn about how traumatic childhood events affect the relationships with inmates. The benefits to the researcher is that they may be more likely to find participants for their childhood trauma “random sampling” in a prison, than they would have if they did a random sampling in a different population of society. If licensed counselors are available during this research, then it is possible the participants may have a therapeutic benefit in talking about their childhood trauma with a licensed professional.
Level of IRB Approval
This project would be studying traumatic childhood issues in a vulnerable population of prisoners, so the level needed would be a Full Board Review. Th study would pose a minimal risk study that involved interview asking questions on a questionnaire, face-to-face. This is an article about traumatic life event, so it could be psychologically difficult for participants. If a risk is discovered by the board review, it could often be mitigated by altering the type of questions being asked to the participants on the questionnaire (John Carroll University).
John Carroll University. (n.d.). STEP ONE: Before You Begin. https://jcu.edu/research/irb/investigators-guide/step-one-you-begin
National Bioethics Advisory Commission. (2006). Report on Ethical and Policy Issues in Research Involving Human Participants Volume I – Report and Recommendations. https://www.onlineethics.org/cms/8033.aspx#risks
I could see this study having both benefits and harms. One benefit would be to see just how many incarcerated people have a high ACEs score. This could allow for more education on ACEs and more trauma informed care. This would benefit society as a whole and could be used as a way to help decrease incarceration rates in the future. One harm could be to the participant. It could cause psychological harms by drudging up painful events from their pasts that could cause significant damage again. I liked how you questioned if there would be counselor made available to the inmates after the study. I would think that would be a very important aspect to think about if you were a researcher.
References
“Chapter 4: Assessing Risks and Potential Benefits and Evaluating Vulnerability (Research Involving Human Participants V1)” Online Ethics Center for Engineering 6/14/2006 OEC Accessed: Sunday, June 14, 2020 http://www.onlineethics.org/8033/hchapter4
I like the idea of knowing the participant’s ACEs score and also believe that would be extremely helpful to this research case study (CDC). The case study questionnaire does not give any indication ACEs would be factored. Also, am curious what specific questions would be asked related to what the study labeled “interpersonal relationship behaviors”? It is important for investigators to choose appropriate questions to compare. Still, that is why I think a trained psychologist should be part of the research team, to ensure the questionnaire and interviews are done with sensitivity to the psychological well-being of the subjects. If the inmates have spent most of their adulthood incarcerated, then their interpersonal relationships are going to be so different than people in society who have never been incarcerated.
References:
CDC. (April, 2020). Adverse Childhood Experiences Resources |Violence Prevention|Injury Center| CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/resources.html
The study does actually talk about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) they worded it as traumatic childhood experiences. For each “type” of adverse or traumatic childhood experience their ACE score rises. We have had to go to several days of training on ACEs for our health department. It has really benefited our office with how we approach clients and how we can help them in a more trauma informed way.
Ahh, okay, thank you for the clarification! I appreciate that.
I appreciate that you brought up the fact that these studies suggest that traumatic childhood experiences only happen in prisoners and that was a very good point considering if there were going to be counselors available. One of my thoughts in my research also was the concern for the prisoners taking their anger out on the interviewer due to bringing up past trauma. After reading through your conversation I looked up the ACE study, I agree this would be very interesting and I believe would assist in doing an interview such as this one involved with prisoners. If not for any other reason but simply to give the interviewer the score to see exactly how much trauma the prisoner has been through (“Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs),” 2020)
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). (2020, April 22). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html?
I also appreciated learning more about ACE’s! Yes, I think if the study was specifically geared toward prison populations, it could yield interesting results. I would also be concerned that this research study could be too exploitative if not conducted with great care and sensitivity to the vulnerability of this population.