Blurring the frame: Youth-defined photographic expression in participatory research on adverse childhood experiences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to 75% of mental illness cases in the UK before age 24, yet their emotional impacts are rarely explored through young people's perspectives. This study investigates how youth with ACEs use blurriness in photography as a form of emotional expression and narrative control. Using a participatory methodology, young people acted as co-researchers through photography tasks, Jamboard discussions and blog reflections. Blurred images – emerging spontaneously – became key artefacts for reflection and meaning-making. Thematic analysis, informed by Constructivist and Chaos Theories, found that blurriness symbolised confusion, fragmentation, vulnerability and distance. It also offered a way to express difficult emotions while avoiding overexposure. Participants associated blurred photography with youth visual culture, especially social media aesthetics that value imperfection and authenticity. This research demonstrates the potential of arts-based, co-produced methods to amplify marginalised youth voices and proposes a participatory visual framework for exploring emotional expression among young people affected by ACEs.