'She's a child. My Decision. When she's 18 she can make a decision. Exploring why parents and schools assume children are NOT the best people to consent to use of their information.

This paper draws upon the findings of a small-scale empirical study conducted in North-East England in 2017, which used in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore parents’ views about their family’s privacy. This study identified that many parents perceive that they bear primary responsibility for protecting their children’s privacy. It identified that many schools also see parents as the most appropriate people to determine whether schools may use children’s information. This study found, however, that parents frequently provide such consent without first consulting their children, even when their children are capable of expressing their own views about how their information is used. These children, unable to offer their opinions, are excluded from participation in decisions affecting them.
This paper outlines the varying reasons parents offered for not consulting children. It explores why schools may choose to obtain parental consent rather than to seek consent from children themselves. This paper, drawing upon the Information Commissioner’s Office’s guidance ‘Children and the UK GDPR’ (undated) suggests, ultimately, that children should be allowed to express their views, that schools and parents can protect children’s privacy whilst at the same time paying due regard to the child’s UNCRC Article 12 right to be heard.