This paper examines the perspectives of child protection workers (CPWs) (n = 106) on the participation of children in child protection practice in Estonia. The findings indicated that child participation was most related to the term “asking a child’s opinion.” On a theoretical level, CPWs considered the asking of a child’s opinion to be significant in child protection practice in order to make decisions in the child’s best interests. In practice, however, asking a child’s opinion was acknowledged to be dependent on the level of development and age of the child, whether there were any custody disputes, and time factors. The reflections of CPWs indicate a protectionist approach regarding child participation because they discussed the issue of children being vulnerable and how encouraging them to participate might be detrimental to their well-being.
The paper is part of a collaborative research organized by the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (AIMJF/IAYFJM) on child participation as victims or witnesses in criminal cases. The article explains the legal, institutional and procedural aspects of child participation in the Justice System in Armenia
The paper is part of a collaborative research organized by the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (AIMJF/IAYFJM) on child participation as victims or witnesses in criminal cases. The article explains the legal, institutional and procedural aspects of child participation in the Justice System in China.
This article addresses two contemporary challenges for the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention: (i) domestic violence and (ii) child participation. It also outlines three components of a global socio-legal policy and research initiative undertaken to address these issues and, where relevant, their intersection. The published literature on these topics, including the children’s objections exception, is explored, as are the ways in which these challenges are addressed within some of the 101 Contracting States to the Convention and through the Guide to Good Practice on Article 13(1)(b) of the Convention. Regard is paid to the data provided by the statistical analysis of applications made under the Convention in 2015 by Lowe and Stephens, and the changes which will occur once the Recast of The European Brussels 11a Regulation comes into operation. The likely impact for 1980 Hague Convention abduction proceedings of the UK having left the European Union at 23.00 GMT on 31 January 2020 is contemplated. Other current international initiatives are discussed, including the development of a child-friendly version of the Convention through The International Association of Child Law Researchers. Training is a key to changing attitudes and upskilling family justice professionals to ensure the Convention operates in a fully child-centric way. This will maintain and strengthen the Convention by keeping it ‘fit for purpose’.
This study aims to determine the awareness of child participation among individuals from different professions. The descriptive survey model, a quantitative research method, was employed in the study. A total of 480 people who reside in Kâğıthane district of Istanbul province and work in education, law, health, and design, selected by stratified sampling method, voluntarily participated in the study. “The personal information” form created by the researcher and “The Child Participation Awareness Scale” were used as data collection tools. The data were obtained by obtaining permission from the institutions and conducting face-to-face interviews with the individuals. As a result of the research, the level of child participation awareness of individuals in different professions is distributed into design, education, health, and law. Due to the fact that the individuals participating in the research were mostly in auxiliary occupational groups and had low levels of awareness about Children's Rights, the awareness level of occupational groups was found to be different from what was expected. In general, the awareness found in the sub-dimension of "decoration in participation" showed that in today's technological age, children's drawings are used without permission or children are used as decorations in activities.
The quantitative data collection is supplemented with several qualitative parts among subsamples of participants, including setting-specific observations of child participation. These will provide unprecedented insights into the practice of child participation. Whereas children and parents in the home context will be observed during a structured decision-making task, the approach and practices of child participation in court and mediation will be observed directly.
Zoë Rejaän, Inge E. van der Valk, Rianne van Dijk et al.
At an international child-led conference in January 2022, originally planned as an in-person event but held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and young people came together to share their views, experiences and ideas. When the event ended, they did not want the exchange to stop. They wanted to stay connected, to keep working together and to turn their ideas into action. From that moment, the Global Campus Child Leadership Team (CLT) began to take shape. Since then, something remarkable has grown. Across regions and contexts, national Child Leadership Teams, under the umbrella of the global CLT, have developed into a community of children aged 12-17 who are identifying the issues that matter to them, creating their own projects and advocating for change in their communities and beyond. This publication is an attempt to capture a part of that journey. It takes the form of a tree. The branches represent the different themes the CLTs are working on, while the leaves show some of the many projects that have grown from them. Each leaf reflects an idea brought to life—shaped and led by children and young people themselves. Like the work it represents, this publication is not finished. It is a living tree. New leaves will be added as new projects emerge, and we hope to continue shaping and improving it over time, including through the feedback we receive. What stands out most is the energy and commitment of the children and young people involved. They are not just participating—they are taking initiative, setting priorities and creating spaces for change. Alongside them are the people who support and accompany this work in different ways, helping to create the conditions for participation and growth. There is a great deal to learn from what is being built together. At the same time, this work is still evolving. We are constantly learning about the challenges and constraints that come with enabling meaningful child participation, and about how we can do better. Being open about this, and continuing the dialogue with the children and young people involved in the CLTs and the Youth Advisory Group (YAG), is an essential part of the process. We hope this publication offers something to everyone who reads it - child or adult. We hope it sparks ideas, raises questions and shows what is possible when children are supported to take the lead. And we hope it invites you to learn more about the work that continues to grow from here.
Abstract This paper addresses the research problem that arises from evidence that, despite supportive policy contexts, enactment of pedagogies that attend to young children's participation rights in classroom settings is highly variable. We report our exploration of the ways in which the child, and child participation are constructed in early education settings in Wales, where legislation and policy around children's rights has been a key feature of the Welsh Government agenda post‐devolution. Data were gathered via a qualitative online bilingual (English and Welsh) survey offered via email to teachers of children aged 3–7 in Wales. The overarching research question of the project was: How do teachers of children 3–7 years understand and enact the notion of participation as it relates to the children they teach? Data analysis focused on research participants' apparent constructions of the children they teach and their capabilities, and unpacked the ways in which these constructions relate to the reported opportunities for participation. The discussion is informed by the notion of the threshold concept, described by Meyer & Land as akin to a portal that opens new and previously inaccessible ways of thinking. We consider the extent to which the conceptual construction of the capable child maybe a threshold concept in shaping the realisation of children's participation rights in educative contexts.
Since 2015, local municipalities in the Netherlands have been responsible for the organisation of the youth care and child protection system. One of the basic assumptions underlying the new Youth Act (2015) is the mobilisation and empowerment of the family to help solve their problems. Consequently, the participation of children and parents is essential in the implementation of youth care services. However, it seems that substantial differences exist between municipalities in realising children's participation in decisions that are taken concerning their care and protection. This article provides an interdisciplinary perspective on child participation; it explores both the legal opportunities for participation and the extent to which children can make use of these opportunities in practice. It is concluded that municipalities have large discretion in giving shape to child participation in the access to voluntary and coercive youth care. However, child participation is better regulated and implemented in practice with respect to compulsory youth care via court orders. Throughout almost the entire process, the minimum age limit from when children are involved in the decision-making process is 12 years, which means that children below that age have scarce opportunities to participate.
Stephanie Elaine Rap, Verkroost Denise, Mariëlle R. Bruning
