Are We Required to Obtain Consent?
Organizations that want to collect information from youth under age 18 are obligated by federal and often state laws to inform parents/guardians of what they want to do. These laws are designed to safeguard families’ privacy and protect the right of parents and guardians to decide if their youth may answer research or evaluation questions or surveys. The laws also state that parents and guardians may review survey questions upon request before their children are asked to complete them.
Thus, Clubs that want to use the Tool Kit surveys have a legal obligation to obtain consent from parents/guardians. Moreover, Clubs should communicate fully and openly with parents in order to demonstrate their commitment to evaluation and improvement.
The Tool Kit surveys do not pose any risk to youth who answer them. Some questions, however, do ask about drug and alcohol use and behavior, attitudes and friendships. Some parents may not want anyone to ask their children such questions. Club leaders should work with their boards or community stakeholders to decide how best to communicate with parents about the surveys. They also should decide on the type of consent they will use with parents and guardians.
Types of Consent
Clubs may seek one of two types of consent from parents and guardians:
- Active Consent asks parents/guardians to sign and return a letter before the Club involves their children in surveys, interviews or other data collection. Organizations typically seek active consent when parents may not be well-informed about or involved in the Club and may object to having their children participate in research studies.
- Passive Consent tells parents and guardians about information being collected for research studies, but parents/guardians only sign and return the letter if they refuse to grant permission for their youth to respond to surveys. Organizations typically seek passive consent when they feel confident that parents are informed about Club activities and are likely to support surveys or interviews. Sometimes Clubs use passive consent letters if they think parents may neglect to sign and return them. A passive consent letter should be used only when surveys involve no risk to children and ask few questions to which parents might object.
View or download sample consent letters that you can customize for your Club.
What Do Consent Letters Say?
You should send parent/guardian permission request letters several weeks in advance of the survey period. Your Club’s letter should explain:
- the topics covered in the Youth Development Outcomes surveys and why the Club is conducting them;
- how the Club will use the results to help improve Club experiences for youth;
- participation in the surveys is voluntary;
- the surveys do not ask any questions about family income or number of parents in the household;
- youth responses are confidential and no names will be used;
- when completing the surveys, youth may skip questions they do not wish to answer;
- there is no risk involved in answering the surveys or deciding not to answer the surveys;
- young people’s survey answers will not affect their membership status or treatment in the Club in any way;
- the dates and place that surveys will be administered;
- parents may review a copy of the survey questions upon request; and
- the name and contact information for the Club executive or leader who will answer parent/guardian questions.
All consent letters must include a section or space in which parents/guardians can place their signature and date. If the Club seeks active consent, the letter should make it clear that parents must sign, date and return the letter. If the Club seeks passive consent, the letter should state clearly that parents need to sign, date and return the letter only if they do not wish their youth to participate.
View or download sample consent letters that you can customize for your Club.
Sample Consent Letters
Here you can view or download sample letters for requesting active or passive consent. You can customize these to fit your Club’s needs.
Letter 1, Active Consent (view in MS Word or Acrobat Reader)
This letter describes the Tool Kit surveys and asks parents/guardians to give permission for their children to participate in the surveys by signing the letter and returning it to the Club.
Letter 2, Passive Consent (view in MS Word or Acrobat Reader)
This letter describes the Tool Kit surveys and asks parents/guardians to sign, date and return the letter only if they do not want their youth to participate in the Tool Kit surveys.