International Perspectives and Empirical Findings on Child Participation: From Social Exclusion to Child-Inclusive Policies

The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has inspired advocates and policy makers across the globe, injecting childrens rights terminology into various public and private arenas. Childrens right to participate in decision-making processes affecting their lives is the acme of the Convention and its central contribution to the childrens rights discourse. At the same time the participation right presents enormous challenges in its implementation. Laws, regulations and mechanisms addressing childrens right to participate in decision-making processes affecting their lives have been established in many jurisdictions across the globe. Yet these worldwide developments have only rarely been accompanied with empirical investigations. The effectiveness of various policies in achieving meaningful participation for children of different ages, cultures and circumstances have remained largely unproven empirically. Therefore, with the growing awareness of the importance of evidence-based policies, it becomes clear that without empirical investigations on the implementation of childrens right to participation it is difficult to promote their effective inclusion in decision making. This book provides a much-needed, first broad portrayal of how child participation is implemented in practice today. Bringing together 19 chapters written by prominent authors from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Israel, the book includes descriptions of programs that engage children and youth in decision-making processes, as well as insightful findings regarding what children, their families, and professionals think about these programs. Beyond their contribution to the empirical evidence on ways children engage in decision-making processes, the volumes chapters contribute to the theoretical development of the meaning of participation, citizenship, inclusiveness, and relational rights in regards to children and youth. There is no matching to the books scope both in terms of its breadth of subjects and the diversity of jurisdictions it covers. The books chapters include experiences of child participation in special education, child protection, juvenile justice, restorative justice, family disputes, research, and policy making.