Background: The purpose of this study was to pilot an innovative cartoon video vignette survey methodology to learn about young people’s perspectives on abortion and sexual relationships in Tanzania. The Animating Children’s Views methodology used videos shown on tablets to engage young people in conversations. Such conversations are complicated because abortion is highly stigmatized, inaccessible, and illegal in Tanzania. Methods: The cartoon video vignette methodology was conducted as a part of a quantitative survey using tablet computers. Hypothetical situations and euphemistic expressions were tested in order to engage adolescents on sensitive topics in low-risk ways. Qualitative interviews and focus groups validated and further explored the perspectives of the young respondents. Results: Results indicate that 12–17 year-olds usually understand euphemistic expressions for abortion and are aware of social stigma and contradictory norms surrounding abortion from as young as age twelve. Despite the risks involved with abortion, this study finds adolescents sometimes view abortion as a reasonable solution to allow a girl to remain in school. Additional findings show that as adolescents wrestle with how to respond to a schoolgirl’s pregnancy, they are considering both the (un)affordability of healthcare services and also expectations for gender roles. Conclusions: Digital data collection, such as the Animating Children’s Views cartoon video vignettes used in this study, allows researchers to better understand girls’ and boys’ own perspectives on their experiences and reproductive health.

The standard approach for collecting sociodemographic data about children in developing countries is to elicit information from adults. While using proxy respondents is appropriate for very young c...

The assertion that children and adolescents will express their own views, in their own voice, when they are asked to do so, undergirds a significant amount of research and policy, as evidenced in Article 12 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. This assumption can lead to a homogenous rendering of children's perspectives through the use of problematic concepts like "children's voice," which masks the variety and contradictions in their views. Differences in power between adult researchers and children are one of the forces that limit child respondents' ability to openly express opinions or even factual knowledge. In this chapter, Bolgrien, Levison, and Vavrus discuss methodological approaches that strive to reduce generational power differences in research and thus allow for young people to express a wider range of perspectives. The authors also present practical strategies based on their research in Tanzania that can be used by researchers interested in learning about childhood from children themselves.