Involving care-experienced young people as co-researchers: taking care of the relationship in the co-construction of knowledge on child maltreatment

This chapter explores the active involvement of care-experienced young people (CEYP) as co-researchers in a pilot study on child protection interventions. Building on trends in participatory research, children's rights, and the sociology of childhood, the study challenges the limited roles often assigned to CEYP in research by involving them in all phases of the research process. Three CEYP collaborated from the outset of the project, defining research questions through collecting and analysing data to disseminating results. The chapter outlines the theoretical foundations, ethical considerations, and methodological steps of this approach, highlighting how power asymmetries were addressed through mutual recognition of lived and academic knowledge. It argues that the full participation of CEYP enriches both research outcomes and the knowledge production process, fostering a transformative and supportive environment that benefits all participants and produces richer, more epistemically just knowledge.