Informed Consent
Below, you will find my full Informed Consent form. This form has two purposes:
1. To inform each participant of every detail of the study that may impact them. This form will explain how their identities will be kept secret, how information will be gathered and protected and what precautions will be taken to control the access to that data.
2. It allows the participant to give consent to participate in the study. Keep in mind, this is not a binding "contract" of any kind - any participant is free to withdraw from the study at any time, without consequence. This form serves to protect your rights and ensure that the study is conducted ethically and in your best interest.
Informed Consent Form
This is an informed consent form, to be signed by potential participants who choose to voluntarily be a part of the outlined research study.
Introduction
My name is Christopher Kemp, I am an Intern Clinical Psychologist currently pursuing my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of South Africa. This study forms part of my requirement for completion of that degree.
I am inviting you to be a participant in this study, which is investigating your experiences of cyberbullying. When considering whether or not you would like to participate in this study, please feel free to speak to anyone whom you feel comfortable about the research and take time to reflect on whether or not you would like to take part. If there is anything you do not understand or would like further clarity on after reading this document, please do not hesitate to contact me, I would be happy to explain.
Purpose of the research
Cyberbullying is an increasingly common problem in this country. The point of this research is to explore what the experience of being cyberbullied is like, and what kind of effect it has on one’s life.
This will help others to understand how people who go through cyberbullying feel, how and where cyberbullying occurs and what the possible long-term and short-term effects are. All of this will be investigated within a South African context.
Participant selection
It is important that anyone who wishes to participate in this study is eighteen years of age or older. In South Africa you are not legally of adult age until you are eighteen, and thus cannot give informed consent to participate in this study.
Furthermore, it is important that you are a resident of South Africa. The study aims to investigate how cyberbullying is experienced in a South African context, so it is important that your experience of cyberbullying, and your social upbringing is within that context.
Aside from these two factors, anyone may participate in the study, regardless of age, gender, socio-economic background or race. If you have experienced cyberbullying and are willing to share your experiences for the purposes of this research, your participation will be greatly appreciated.
Research procedure
If you do choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to conduct an interview which should last between one and two hours. This interview will either be done face-to-face, or using a computer program called Skype, which allows video communication over the internet.
Whether the interview will be done face-to-face or using Skype will depend on what is most convenient for you as well as what you feel most comfortable with.
With your permission, I may ask you for another follow-up interview if there are some aspects of our previous interview I wish to clarify. You may of course decline this second interview if you do not feel comfortable.
It is important to note that you are not obliged to share any information which you do not feel comfortable sharing. What you choose to disclose is entirely up to you.
Recording
The interview will be recorded for the purposes of accurately representing your experiences in the study.
These recordings will be kept on a drive that is not accessible to an outside party, and the only people who will have access to the recordings are myself, the researcher, as well as a supervisor and a third party who will assist in interpreting the data.
The recordings will also be transcribed; these transcriptions will also be kept in a secure location, with access given only to the aforementioned parties.
Both the recordings and the transcriptions will be destroyed after the study has been completed, to ensure your anonymity.
Risks
Due to the sensitive nature of the topic being discussed, you may find the interview process emotionally upsetting or difficult.
If you feel that you are emotionally distressed following the interview, you will be given access to another therapist for debriefing, at no cost to you. This debriefing will be conducted either face-to-face or via Skype, depending on your location.
Confidentiality
Your confidentiality and anonymity is a priority, and every measure will be taken to ensure that your identity is not revealed in the research.
Your real name will not appear in the final thesis, an alias will be used. Should you so desire, you may choose not to reveal your identity to me, the researcher. Information about you will not be shared with anyone, aside from the research supervisor.
As mentioned previously, all recordings and transcriptions of our interview will be kept securely in a locked location, and destroyed after the completion of the study.
In the case of video communication over the internet, the program used, Skype, encrypts all communications to prevent hackers or unwanted external parties gaining access to any communications.
Sharing of the study
All participants in the study will receive a printed copy of the final thesis when completed, if they would like to have one.
The study will be publicly available, anyone who desires will have access to it. However, no identifying information about any of the participants will be included in the study. Your anonymity is of the utmost importance, and your confidentiality will be protected.
Right to refuse or withdraw
By agreeing to participate in the study, you are not entering into a binding contract. You have the right to withdraw from the study or refuse an interview or communication at any time; there will be no repercussions for you and you will not be required to explain or defend your decision to withdraw.
If you are not comfortable with any aspect of the research process, you are free to refuse to partake. Please feel free to ask questions at any time if there is something you would like clarity on or do not understand.
Contact information
For the purpose of this study, a separate e-mail address and cellphone number will be set up for you to contact me. You may contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns.
After the study, this e-mail address and cellphone number will be discontinued.
I have read the foregoing information, or it has been read to me. I have had the opportunity to ask questions about it and any questions I have been asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I consent voluntarily to be a participant in this study.
Print Name of Participant
________________________________________________
Signature of Participant
________________________________________________
Date ___________________________
Day/month/year