Discussion:
Children have always been and will continue to be innocent little pawns in the games that adults prey upon each other. The actions that are exacted upon these unsuspected little people are ones that can cut deep and effect their present as well as their future behaviors. Who will speak for these little people? Introducing the Guardian ad Litem. A person who is appointed by the court solely to protect the interests and well-being of children caught in the middle and sometimes the cause of events that brought them to the court (Herlihy, 2017). During a research review, a very important gap was recognized that led the reviewer to ask, what are the apparent effects of placements of the children during the two-year study. The research design was one of a quantitative type but needed an additional research design to compliment the information.
For this purpose, I would recommend a grounded theory style of qualitative design. Grounded theory causes the researcher to look at the present information in new ways and develop questions that analyze the collected data in different ways (Hancock, Ockleford and Windridge, 2009). Grounded theory guides the researcher to ask the questions that go deeper into who, what, where, when and how regarding the permanent homes, foster homes, shelters, as well as institutions. The intent of the court is to not place the children in the same type of atmosphere as they have just been taken away from to start. Therefore, it is most crucial to ask the probing questions that will bring to light how the children are coping with the change in atmosphere. For example, most children that come from abusive atmospheres will portray to types of behavior, they will lash out or withdraw into themselves. So, the importance of a complimentary qualitative research can answer those questions as well as present recommendations for future research.
References:
Hancock, B., Ockleford, E., & Windridge, K. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research. Retrieved from https://www.rds-yh.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5_Introduction-to-qualitative-research-2009.pdf
Herlihy, A. (2017). What is a Guardian ad Litem? Retrieved from https://herlihyfamilylaw.com/2017/03/06/what-is-a-guardian-ad-litem