To add to that a bit:
 
Legally, an emancipated minor is specifically ruled to be one by a court
after the submission of the relevant documents. Living on their own alone
isn't sufficient grounds for emancipation--there have to be other reasons
as well. Among other things, an emancipated minor cannot be claimed as a
dependent on anyone's taxes, must be self supporting (financial aid
qualifies if provided to the minor; but not if provided to the parent in
the form of loans, etc.), and must have legitimate grounds for petitioning
for emancipation. Some grounds would include being orphaned as a teen,
removal from an abusive household, being "turned out" by the parents
(i.e., a "Throwaway teen,"), marriage, childbirth while living
independently, etc. By definition, a teen who enters military service at
age 17 is emancipated.
 
An emancipated minor is, from every legal standpoint, an adult (except for
the rights to vote and/or purchase alcohol). He or she is treated as an
adult in both civil and criminal court, can be held to any contractual
obligation he or she enters into, and is not limited by laws prohibiting
status offenses (i.e., runaway, truancy, curfew, labor laws relating to
juveniles, etc.). Such a minor, of course, would have the same right to
sign any relevant consent form as a subject that an adult would have. 
 
In many states, the age of consent, not the age of majority, is used to
determine whether a person can legally elect to enter clinical trials
medically. It would seem logical that if a minor is legally permitted to
decide to participate in a drug or other medical trial without parental
consent, he or she should likewise be permitted to participate in
psychological research. 
 
Hope this helps,
 
Rick
 

--

Rick Adams
Capella University School of Technology
Grand Canyon University School of Social Sciences.
Jackson Community College Department of Social Sciences

 <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds will be the love
you leave behind when you're gone." 
-Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible"

NOTICE: Any views expressed in this message are strictly my own and do not
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  _____  

From: Sugarman, David [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 7:03 PM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences
Subject: RE: Permission Slip Question


 Ken,
 
Not being a lawyer, I did a quick search to offer you a reasonable
definition of "emancipated minor".  
 
http://chhd.csun.edu/shelia/436/lecture0405.html reports the following
statement:
 

"Most states have a legal proceeding that allows a person under the age of
majority to petition the court for full rights as an adult. This grant of
adult rights is based on the maturity of the minor and the minor's need
for adult status. This need is based on the minor's living alone or other
factors that make it inappropriate for the minor's parents to retain
control over the minor. Marriage usually qualifies the minor to consent to
medical care, as does service in the armed forces." 

In California, children as young as 14 years of age can be emancipated as
long as they meet the other requirements of that state's statutes which
would be met if the 14 year-old went to college, lived in the dorms, and
managed their own finanial affairs. By the way, if the institution sends
the tuition bill to the student and it gets paid, I would presume that the
child is managing his or her financial affairs very well.

Given that college students some of whom are under the age of majority (18
years, I presume, because they then have the right to vote) need to live
separate from their parents (e.g., in the dorms, apartments off campus,
etc), I would argue that these student would fit this definition. Now, the
states require an application to the courts to emancipate the minors;
however, an IRB can assume that minor-aged college students fit the
requirement because of their enrollment in the institution and treat them
as an emacipated minor. 

I hope that this helps.

Dave

 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ken Steele [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Thu 9/30/2004 4:49 PM 
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences 
Cc: 
Subject: Re: Permission Slip Question





> You may want to argue that the 17 year-old and for that fact, all under
> 21-year old college students are "emancipated minors" and thus able to
> give consent to participate.
>
> Dave
>
> David B. Sugarman, Ph.D.
> Professor of Psychology
> Rhode Island College
> Providence, RI   02908
>

Dave

Would you explain this point in greater detail?  Legally, what is an
"emancipated minor"?  How does one become "emancipated"?

Ken

---------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D.                  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Professor
Department of Psychology          http://www.psych.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA
---------------------------------------------------------------



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