What Does it Mean to Adopt a Trauma-Informed Approach to Research?: Reflections on a Participatory Project With Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK


Shankley, W ORCID: 0000-0002-8361-9065, Stalford, H ORCID: 0000-0002-9782-7738, Chase, E, Iusmen, I and Kreppner, J (2023) What Does it Mean to Adopt a Trauma-Informed Approach to Research?: Reflections on a Participatory Project With Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. 16094069231183605-. ISSN 1609-4069, 1609-4069

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Abstract

Trauma-informed (T-I) approaches to working with vulnerable people have gained popularity in practice but are rarely used in academic research and little is known about the challenges of conducting a T-I approach to participatory research. This paper reflects on our experiences of a participatory peer research project involving unaccompanied young people seeking asylum (16–25 years) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst the project adhered to a robust ethical framework, it became apparent at an early stage in the empirical phase that our methods needed to acknowledge and accommodate the trauma of those involved in the project much more thoughtfully and effectively than our ethical framework suggested. With this in mind, we set about identifying the key elements of a T-I approach to research and how these might add value to research with vulnerable and marginalised populations. Our model of a T-I approach to peer research is framed around five core principles: working reflectively with those with lived experience; contextualising trauma; nurturing trust; showing care; and empowering those involved in and affected by the research.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: asylum, peer research, trauma-informed, young asylum seekers
Divisions: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 27 Jul 2023 15:05
Last Modified: 21 Jan 2026 21:03
DOI: 10.1177/16094069231183605
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231183605
Related Websites:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3171957
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