Promoting the Human Rights of Children and Young People: The ‘Investing in Children’ Experience

Abstract

As long as children and young people remain politically voiceless and powerless, there will be little change to their status in society. Liam Cairns and Maria Brannen reflect upon their experiences of attempting to promote an alternative discourse within which children and young people are seen as active citizens, who are knowledgeable about their world and able to play a full part in decision-making processes that affect them. They draw upon case studies from a project called ‘Investing in Children’ to illustrate promising developments as well as some of the obstacles in their path.

Barriers and Facilitators to Children's and Young People's Views Affecting CAMHS Planning and Delivery

“…Cairns and Brannen (2005) report on the multi‐agency partnership ‘Investing in Children’ project in County Durham, established to promote a positive public perception of children and young people and their role in the community. As part of this, a group of young people with diabetes undertook a project to explore the views of users of the local diabetes clinic.…”

“…Their experience of how to implement changes as a result of the project highlighted the need for the research group project manager to have strategic involvement within Barnardo's, and therefore the ability to link the project findings with other national Barnardo's work; the management of the Research Group has now been taken over by a Volunteer Co-ordinator post, allowing the group to continue after the end of the funded project. Cairns and Brannen (2005) report on the multiagency partnership ÔInvesting in ChildrenÕ project in County Durham, established to promote a positive public perception of children and young people and their role in the community. As part of this, a group of young people with diabetes undertook a project to explore the views of users of the local diabetes clinic.…”

Resistance as a means of creating accountability in child welfare institutions

“…These participants use their voices and create a positive identity, which can function as resilience – just as Ungar () and Eide & Winger () concluded in their research. A positive identity can also make them less vulnerable to ill treatment, as Cairns & Brannen () claim. At the same time, the youths used discursive resources in a pragmatic way in order to maintain consensus and compliance.…”

Small Shoes, Big Steps! Empowering Children as Active Researchers

“…The reality of children's participation is neither singular nor simple and requires a process of continual adjustment to changing needs of the societies children inhabit. The shift toward increased participation has been driven by three main influences: the recognition of children as social actors, their concomitant recognition as consumers or ''users'' of products and services, and the increased attention paid to children's rights (Cairns and Brannen 2005;Coad and Lewis 2004;Kirby et al 2003). There is much critical work around children's participation in research that has been undertaken globally in the last decade.…”