Enhancing Child Agency for Child Protection? Reflections from the UN Study on Violence Against Children By: Natasha Blanchet-Cohen, PhD International Institute for Child Rights and Development Reflections from the UN Study on Violence Against Children By: Natasha Blanchet-Cohen, PhD International Institute for Child Rights and Development

Lack of understanding…  Concept not defined the same  Not widely used  Concept not defined the same  Not widely used

Child Agency is …  Intrinsic to human development  Constantly responding, weighing out options  Children contributing to reproducing/changing socio-cultural practices and processes  Giving meaning to violence  “Two-sided” : protective vs. put children at risk  At the individual, by proxy and collective levels  Intrinsic to human development  Constantly responding, weighing out options  Children contributing to reproducing/changing socio-cultural practices and processes  Giving meaning to violence  “Two-sided” : protective vs. put children at risk  At the individual, by proxy and collective levels

UN Study on Violence Against Children  Global portrait of violence against children  Range of methods used to collect information  Various stakeholders involved in design  First UN Study to “engage directly and consistently with children”  Global portrait of violence against children  Range of methods used to collect information  Various stakeholders involved in design  First UN Study to “engage directly and consistently with children”

Notes about the methods:  Literature review of all printed materials  Limitations (written materials)  The impact of the Study continues to unfold.  Literature review of all printed materials  Limitations (written materials)  The impact of the Study continues to unfold.

Children’s participation in the UN Study a success? On the one hand…  National / regional consultations with children  Extensive planning and support materials  Convincing of “decision-makers” and State Parties On the one hand…  National / regional consultations with children  Extensive planning and support materials  Convincing of “decision-makers” and State Parties

And…  Discussion on methods  Broad definition of violence  Two overarching recommendations on child participation.  Examples of children’s organizations in World Report  Discussion on methods  Broad definition of violence  Two overarching recommendations on child participation.  Examples of children’s organizations in World Report

On the other hand…  Formal participation constrained  Relationship between research and advocacy  Ignoring of children’s socio-cultural and historical location  Report little on children developing and implementing solution in settings  Complexity and nuances of violence underemphasized. On the other hand…  Formal participation constrained  Relationship between research and advocacy  Ignoring of children’s socio-cultural and historical location  Report little on children developing and implementing solution in settings  Complexity and nuances of violence underemphasized.

Study embrace child agency? Child agency = child participation ??? Current issues:  Different conceptions of participation  Violence Against Children: calls for a focus on public and private domain Child agency = child participation ??? Current issues:  Different conceptions of participation  Violence Against Children: calls for a focus on public and private domain

What interventions ‘promote’ child agency?

1. ADEQUATE NFORMATION  Creating child-youth friendly materials  Appropriate conditions for children to share  Creating child-youth friendly materials  Appropriate conditions for children to share

2. Child agency across the stages of decision-making

3. Capacity-building of adults  Role-modeling partnerships.  Appropriate methods of involvement.  Role-modeling partnerships.  Appropriate methods of involvement.

4.Interdisciplinary applied research  Innovation in quantitative and qualitative methods while keeping rigor.  Combination of methods  Participatory research --as promoting children’s own protection.  Innovation in quantitative and qualitative methods while keeping rigor.  Combination of methods  Participatory research --as promoting children’s own protection.

Creating an enabling environment