"I can do more then I think I can....If I can do this then I can take it further": Participatory Action Research with Young People.

Service User (SU) involvement in the development of research and services is an integral part of current policy. This movement has led to a rise in Participatory Action Research (PAR) to empower SU voices and support social change alongside oppressed groups. PAR is an alternative approach to knowledge production which deconstructs power dynamics in researcher-participant relationships. PAR is aligned with liberation and community psychology, social justice and empowerment agendas. Despite the rise in PAR, research with Young People (YP) is lacking, and many PAR projects are constrained by pre-decided topics which can lead to tokenism. Evidence has demonstrated the effectiveness of PAR on the wellbeing and empowerment of YP, and that PAR increases the validity of research.
This research explored how to co-develop a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project with YP from its initial design. This included co-designing the research topic, location, remuneration and the ways we ran our project. We met online and in person in community spaces, using focus groups. We co-constructed how to design research and what roles we took in the group. We then collaboratively analysed the meetings and process of our PAR project using Thematic Analysis.
We found that the core themes in co-developing PAR with YP were Communication, Collaboration, Knowledge and Learning and the Impact of the Project. These themes are discussed in relation to relevant literature and the research questions.
The Youth Researchers are also in the process of designing their chosen research topic and the subsequent action, which will be discussed. The clinical implications of this project are discussed, including support for the use of PAR with YP and ways to maintain genuine participation. A critical reflection of the project and discussion of potential further research is included.