Paper Short Abstract:

This paper explores innovative and ethical approaches to capturing the voices of children in child protection in France. Based on doctoral research, it highlights creative tools such as drawing, relationship constellations, and Instagram GIFs to understand children’s perspectives on family, relationships, and preferences. These methods, combined with interviews and feedback sessions, emphasize the importance of their active participation in sensitive contexts.

Paper Abstract:

This presentation is based on doctoral research in sociology, exploring the agency of children placed in child protection through creative and digital tools. This methodology and ethnographic work were conducted with 8 children aged 6 to 14 in two child protection institutions. Three main approaches were used to capture their perspectives with ethical considerations.

1. Drawing: Children were invited to represent their relatives or their visions of family and the future. This method allowed for free and sensitive expression on potentially delicate topics, with instructions that take their to their age and needs into account.

2. Relationship Constellations: Inspired by the family tree, this visual approach revisits familial and institutional relationships. It highlights dynamics such as conflicts, solidarities, or values, providing a richer understanding of intra- and extra-institutional relationships.

3. Instagram GIFs: This digital activity, aligned with children's practices, allowed an exploration of their preferences and create an interactive connection with the researcher . They categorized their preferences into two columns: what they like and what they dislike.

Each activity was followed by interviews to delve deeper into the emotions and meanings expressed, and by feedback sessions to validate the analysis with the children. This presentation will address the methodological challenges and emphasize the importance of innovative tools and an ethical approach to capturing children's voices in sensitive contexts.