I asked a colleague who works on teen projects and here's what she replied
(we are in the U.S. so these are U.S. guidelines. You might have a federal
equivalent of the Office for Human Research Protection:

>> >My understanding is that you need parental consent, regardless of
>> >topic area, if a subject is younger than 18; however, OHRP now
>> >considers people under 21 years old to be minors but 18-21 year olds
>> >can sign their own consent forms.

>Here is the OHRP website.
>http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/
>

Tasha Beauchamp





>>Do anyone have guidelines (legal/ethical) guidelines on adolescent
>>participation in behavioural research. We are struggling with the issue of
>>the need for parental vs teen consent for research on issues such as
>>drugs, sex, tobacco, etc. Thanks Jim
>
>Dr. C. James Frankish, BC Health Research Scholar
>Associate Director, Institute of Health Promotion Research
>Associate Professor, Faculty of Graduate Studies
>Member, Division of Population Health & Health Services Research
>Department of Health Care & Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine
>University of British Columbia
>Room 308, LPC Building, 2206 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3
>Ph:6048229205  Fax:6048229210
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>Web Site http:\\www.ihpr.ubc.ca


+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Natasha Beauchamp
Project Coordinator
ORegon Center for Applied Science, Inc. (ORCAS)
1839 Garden Ave.
Eugene, OR  97405

Tel: (541) 342-7227
Toll Free: (888) 349-5472
Fax: (541) 342-4270
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.orcasinc.com