Participant Information Sheet

Are experiences with the police related to different childhood experiences?



You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide, it is important for you to

understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask me if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.

What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this study is to see how those with different childhood experiences feel they are treated during interactions with community police officers. Specifically, we want to know if there’s a difference between those who have adverse childhood experiences (e.g. have experienced neglect, had a parent with mental illness, were exposed to any type of abuse) and those who do not.

Why have I been chosen?

You have been chosen to take part in this study because you are over the age of 16 and have had some form of interaction with police officers in the community as a suspect, witness or victim of a crime. We are looking for people with and without adverse childhood experiences, so there are no specific criteria regarding these.

Do I have to take part?

It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be asked to provide consent electronically on the next page. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw from the survey at any time by closing the survey window, and up to one month following the survey by contacting the researchers with your memorable word or phrase (see consent form).

What will happen to me if I take part?

Firstly, we want to make it clear that this survey will be completely anonymous. No personally identifying information (e.g. name, date of birth) will be requested, and there will be no way for us to link your questionnaire responses to you. This is to ensure you can be as open and honest about your experiences as possible.





If you decide to take part…



i) You will firstly be asked to provide some demographic information (e.g. gender, age, employment status).



ii) After this, you will be asked to respond to some questions that ask about your childhood experiences. These questions cover sensitive topics such as abuse, and so they may be upsetting. If you feel that you may be upset by these types of questions, we strongly suggest that you do not take part in this survey – your safety is our main priority. If you do decide to take part, weblinks and helpline numbers will be provided throughout the survey to ensure you know where to go for additional support.

iii) Following this, you will be asked some questions about your experiences during police interactions – this section will ask if you were a suspect, victim or witness and will explore any support you were given during your interactions and your general levels of satisfaction with your police experience. Again, if you feel that you may be upset by responding to these questions, you can leave the survey at any time.

Overall, this study should take no longer than 25 minutes to complete. Finally, you will be presented with a debriefing page containing information regarding the survey, information about the expected findings and the contribution you have helped make possible.

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

There are no possible disadvantages in taking part in this study, other than exposure to potentially upsetting questions, as outlined above.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

There are no direct benefits of taking part. However, your responses will provide important insight into how those with and without adverse childhood experiences feel when interacting with the police. Through this insight, we can begin identifying what measures police officers can take to ensure they respond to people in a way that reduces distress, protects the individual and the community, and improves investigative outcomes.

What will happen to the results of the research study?

Once all the data for this study has been collected, it will be analysed and findings may be written up for presentation at an academic conference or for publication in a peer reviewed journal. Findings may also be presented to the police and other relevant community organisations. However, your data will remain completely anonymous at all times.

Who has reviewed the study?

MCS Ethics Committee

Contact for further information



If you require any further information please contact:

Researcher: Dr. Zara Brodie

University of the West of Scotland,

High Street, Paisley, PA1 2BE, UK

Telephone: 0141 848 3756

E-mail address: Zara.Brodie@uws.ac.uk



Data Protection Privacy Notice

The data controller for this project will be University of the West of Scotland (UWS). The UWS Data

Protection Office provides oversight of UWS activities involving the processing of personal data, and can be

contacted at dataprotection@uws.ac.uk. UWS’s Data Protection Officer is Andy Connor and he can also be

contacted at dataprotection@uws.ac.uk. Your personal data will be processed for the purposes outlined in

this notice. The legal basis that would be used to process your personal data will be your provision of

consent. You can provide your consent for the use of your personal data in this project by completing the

consent form that has been provided to you. Your personal data will be processed so long as it is required

for the research project. No identifiable data will be collected from you (e.g. name, contact details), and so

your questionnaire responses cannot be linked to you and will remain anonymous throughout. The only

thing linking you to your responses will be a unique phrase that you select when providing consent – this

will allow you to withdraw your data at any point up to 1 month following your participation, should you

wish. If you are concerned about how your personal data is being processed, please contact UWS in the

first instance at dataprotection@uws.ac.uk. If you remain unsatisfied, you may wish to contact the

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact details, and details of data subject rights, are available on

the ICO website at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-

gdpr/individuals-rights/



If you would like a copy of this consent form to keep, please email the researcher. If you have any

complaints or concerns about this research, you can direct these, in writing, to the Chair of the MCS Ethics

Committee by email at: Christopher.odonnelll@uws.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can contact us by post at:

Ethics Committee Chair, School of Media, Culture and Society, University of West of Scotland, Paisley, PA1

2BE



Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet – if you would like to take part in the study,

please click next to go to the consent form.