In this short report on the MOOC "Child Participation and the Right to a Sustainable Environment" you will read about the demographics of the audience, feedback on the courseware, what was most liked, and recommendations for improvement. This course, which features young activists from different regions of the world, was very successufl among youth: 40% of the participants were aged 19-24, and 11% were under 18 - definitely an audience committed to changemaking. Among the most frequent comments: participants plan to use the MOOC's materials to carry out professional tasks such as designing, monitoring and evaluating development projects.
Abstract Professional support of families that are under temporary protection, with the goal of reunification, is necessary for helping families re‐establish their family dynamics. Without this support, the conditions that contributed to child abuse and neglect will likely persist. In this context, the attitude of professionals towards positive parenting and child participation is a decisive factor. The quantitative study presented here contributes knowledge regarding these 2 variables. The study was conducted with 106 professionals who work in the child protection system. The results show a high degree of consensus among professionals regarding the following practices: (a) incorporating positive parenting into family reunification processes; (b) training the biological parents in parenting skills; and (c) promoting the active participation of children in foster care and reunification. Regarding the latter point, the study found that older and more experienced professionals are more open and inclined to promote participation in family reunification processes. The practical implications of the results invite us to review attitudinal competencies training for professionals working in child protection services, focusing on encouraging a positive attitude towards the parental competencies of the biological family and the active participation of children in foster care and reunification. These professionals' attitudes are a key factor in mediating the process of family reunification.
Ainoa Mateos Inchaurrondo, Núria Fuentes-Peláez, Crescencia Pastor Vicente et al.
The paper has an introductory section to briefly explain the role and commitment of the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (AIMJF/IAYFJM) on the improvement of the Justice System, the importance of a transnational judicial dialogue and the involvement of its members in a collaborative research on child participation in family and protection matters. The article presents a comparative analysis of the 35 national contributions in this research, offering a compendium of the data collected from each country, based on the issues specified in a common questionnaire. A general photo gallery of the spaces and ambiences where children are heard in Court and the questionnaire used in the research are attached to the paper.
Abstract Background Although child participation has attained significant awareness in child welfare research, little is known about how this right is upheld in emergency cases. Therefore, the various degrees to which children participate in child welfare services' emergency cases and factors predicting such participation were explored. Method Degrees of participation found in 148 case files (Mage = 11–12 years old, range; 3–18 years; 59% girls, 48% with minority backgrounds) from four Norwegian municipalities were regressed on 15 independent variables in a multinomial logistic regression. Results The children's advancing age increases their probabilities of involvement in the decision‐making processes regarding emergency placements (p < 0.001). The children's minority backgrounds enhance their likelihood of being informed of the placement and having their opinions given weight in decision‐making processes (p = 0.010). The study, nevertheless, revealed that 39% of children in emergency placements are not involved in these processes. Conclusions Case file documentation indicates inadequate involvement of children in emergency cases. Nevertheless, older children and those with minority backgrounds are more likely to participate, although the degree of their involvement varies. The study did not find a correlation between prior contact with child welfare services and child participation.
May Gresdahl, Halvor Fauske, Anita Skårstad Storhaug
The right of children to express their views on matters concerning them is a core principle of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as defined in Article 12. However, research shows that interventions provided by Swedish child and family welfare services are planned and based on parents’ perspectives even though research suggests that child participation results in welfare service provision that is better matched to the children’s needs. The aim of this study is to explore how child participation is constructed in interventions provided by Swedish child and family welfare services and to study which elements are of importance to this process. The article is based on a qualitative interview study with 14 family social workers and 11 children aged 7–16 with experience of family interventions provided by the child and family welfare services. The results suggest that child participation is a collaborative process in which both the child and the FSW have an active role to play. Participation is constructed through a series of seemingly small, everyday actions in the meeting between the child and the FSW. By actively asking questions and allowing the child to practice participation and influence the process, the FSW can, together with the child, work towards increased child participation in interventions.
A. Markström, Catrine Andersson, Annelie Björkhagen Turesson et al.
Purpose Children can play an active and valuable role to minimise disaster risks and vulnerabilities. Yet, peer-reviewed literature on child participation in Disaster Resilience Education (DRE) is lacking. This knowledge gap is larger in low- and middle-income countries, especially related to vulnerable communities. The current study explores how child participation in developing and delivering a DRE intervention is associated with their mental well-being and resilience. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study is part of a larger project where a DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the informal settlements in Chennai, India, using a participatory approach. This project used qualitative methods including interviews and focus group discussions with children who co-developed the intervention, their parents and staff members of the collaborating Non-Government Organisation (NGO) to understand their experiences and inform its processes. Findings The children involved in the development and delivery of the intervention reported that not only did they learn the skills necessary to prepare for hazards in the future, it also increased their confidence, self-worth and self-efficacy. This was also observed by parents and staff members of the collaborating NGO. They expressed pride towards the children and applauded their ability to communicate key Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) messages with assertiveness. Research limitations/implications There is a dearth of empirical papers on child participation in DRR activities, and this study fills some of that gap by reporting the perceived impact of children's participation on their mental well-being and resilience. Furthermore, this study can act as a roadmap for researchers aiming to do action research with children. Practical implications DRR is more effective when all stakeholders, especially the affected and at-risk children, and communities are closely involved in structuring, planning, developing and delivering key disaster preparedness messages. This study serves to show that children's participation in DRR activities not only impacts their preparedness but that it helps children in disaster recovery as well, in addition to building their resilience and overall improvement in their mental well-being. Social implications Given the participatory nature of this study, it involves children closely in the development and delivery of DRE intervention. The communities involved in this study had complex vulnerabilities including poverty, marginalisation and based in a low-and-middle income country, India. Oftentimes, these communities are not represented in scientific literature, and this study attempts to bridge that gap. Originality/value This study presents a multi-stakeholder perspective on child participation in its potential impact on children's mental well-being and resilience. The DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the community making it unique in its development process as well as the context it was developed in – informal settlements in Chennai, India.
Revathi Nuggehalli Krishna, Caroline Spencer, Kevin R. Ronan et al.
Abstract This article sits at the intersection of two debates in the field of transitional justice. The first concerns the extent to which and how children and young people should participate in transitional justice mechanisms, particularly truth commissions. The second addresses whether the field and its mechanisms should cover socioeconomic harms, alongside civil and political rights violations. The primary argument advanced is that the inclusion of the latter impacts positively on the realization of the former. That is, when transitional justice mechanisms address socioeconomic harms, they create broader opportunities for child participation, increasing the number of children who can engage and amplifying the many benefits that come from their inclusion. This article both lends support to those who advocate for addressing socioeconomic harms in transitional justice, while also contributing to discussions on how to increase and improve child participation in truth commissions.
Although children wish to be included in their own healthcare, they recognize a gap between their right to be heard and their ability to become involved. Despite adaptation of medical consultation styles which suit a more patient-centered approach, data on the current state of child participation in clinical encounters are missing. We aimed to assess actual child participation in a Dutch pediatric clinic. Children aged 4-18 years visiting a pediatric outpatient clinic for consultation after general practitioner's referral were included. Sixteen consultations of six pediatricians were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Quantitative measurement included word count and speech turn; conversation analysis with qualitative appraisal provided data on participatory behavior. Quantitative child participation equaled parent participation in turns (28% vs 29%, respectively), but remained limited in words (relative contribution 11% for child, 23% for parent and 66% for pediatrician). Children spoke on average six words per speech turn. Child age correlated positively with participation in words (p = 0.022, r = 0.566) and turns (p = < 0.001, r = 0.746). Children were mostly involved during social history taking, introduction, and physical examination but did not actively speak during the decision-making process. Children took an active role by instigating talks. Qualitative facilitators included appropriate language and verbal or non-verbal child allocated turns. Adults involved children by asking them questions and verifying their opinions or plans with the child. Teenagers participated most during the entire consultation, while younger children were more likely to lose their focus by the end of the conversation. CONCLUSION: Despite increased turn taking, children's verbal participation remains low in pediatric consultations. If pediatricians and parents maintain a triadic conversation style throughout every stage of the medical encounter, child participation may increase. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Verbal child participation varies between 4 and 17%, measured in turns, words, speech time, or utterances. • Child participation is limited to social talk, laughter, and providing medical information. WHAT IS NEW: • Child speech turns equal parental speech turns (28%), but average relative word count remains low (11%). • Three percent of the children's turns are defined a "contributing in decision making, giving their opinion or give consent," which equals three turns per consultation.
Maud M. Koenis, Heleen H. Vroman, Paul L.P. Brand et al.
Abstract This article discusses the potential and pitfalls of children’s participation in academic and non-academic settings through a child participation project in Turkey by questioning various forms of childism from child and adult perspectives. We first and foremost acknowledge and emphasise the child’s position as a form of political resilience in a world where adult centrism has been the norm, regardless of differences in childhood experiences across cultures, social classes and age groups. Guided by this understanding, we engaged with two distinct fieldwork processes over the years and took steps toward achieving child participation at citizenship action level. In particular, we aimed to create a safe and open space for children from diverse backgrounds to come together, share their life issues, develop strategies to address their everyday problems and build a child-to-child participation network. However, we encountered several roadblocks to fully involving children in these processes. This article illustrates the perceptional and practical limitations we faced on the road that stem from competing dispositions held by children and stakeholders. To showcase the potential impact of our project, we highlight such obstacles as adultism among child participants, challenges of engaging academic research with stakeholders, and variations in motivation and interest among different social actors in the field of childhood. The obstacles are discussed with their implications in ways that they could be overcome.
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 in family and protection matters. The article explains the legal, institutional and procedural aspects of child participation in the Justice System in the Republic of North Macedonia.
