Experiences of Displaced Young People Living in England: January to March 2024 – Peer Researcher Reflections

Main points

• This Peer Researcher Report – which accompanies a recent report on Experiences of Displaced Young People Living in England (in collaboration with ONS and Refugee Education UK) – is a space for the peer researchers themselves to reflect on the research process, themes and findings, from their own perspectives. The peer researchers who contributed to this report have all chosen their own topics to focus on in their essays.
• Bilal overviews the key findings key findings of this research, and how those resonate with his personal experiences. He also draws out what he believes to be important implications for policymakers and schools and discusses how peer research contributed to the relevance of these findings.
• Diana draws on her experience to discuss what makes a good peer research project, and to identify tips and lessons for other peer researchers and research teams to consider for their future projects.
• Haleemah discusses the strengths and challenges of involving refugees as peer researchers in projects about the communities they belong to, and critically considers her own status as both an insider and an outsider within the researched community.
• Another peer researcher, who chose not to be named, reflects on the emotional experience of being a peer researcher, and the ways in which it can prompt re-living and re-considering own past experiences.