1. Senior Lecturer, Ph.D. Petersen, Mimi - nope@phmetropol.dk
CHILDREN´S PARTICIPATION IN DECISIONS-MAKING IN SOCIAL WORK, OPENINGS, OPPORTUNITIES, OBLIGATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Senior Lecturer, Ph.D. Petersen, Mimi -
Institute of Social Work, Metropolitan University College, Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Experiences from a project (Roskilde project) Theoretical Framework
Presentation
Experiences from a project (Roskilde project)
Theoretical Framework
Challenges and Perspectives
From idea to application… next project
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi petersen,Senior Lecturer, Ph.D-

3. Researching children's Perspective
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi petersen,Senior Lecturer, Ph.D-

4. Roskilde project( )
Purpose: - Creating knowledge of professional practice in relation to interventions and treatment of vulnerable children and young people in child protection services regarding safety plan as an alternative to out of home placement - What factors influence this practice? - The professional's role and actions of the organization         
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi petersen,Senior Lecturer, Ph.D-

5. Participants Children - 2 to 15 years of age Parents Relatives
Social workers
Teachers, headmaster, educators
Students and staff from ISW, Metropolitan University College of CPH
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi petersen,Senior Lecturer, Ph.D- 5

6. Children’s understanding and expectations of participation

7. Children’s understanding and expectations of participation
Interview with 4 children, age 3-13 years who have / have had a Safety plan
Dialog meeting, working with case and interviews with five groups of children, age years - a total of 63 children from 5th grade fifth grade from whom 50% had been in contact with social services concerning their own safety and well-being
case material
Feedback from 28 social worker students of the case material
Feedback from the 19 children in the age group years in case
Interview with 5 social workers.
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

8. Children as generous co-researchers
Just call me –
anytime You need help … !
a 12 year old boy said …
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

9. Focus on the following questions
How is the child involved in the process?
As informant? As a co-player/team player? Is the child participating on equal terms?
How does the child wish to participate?
The child’s perspective on own role?
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

10. Theoretical Framework
Participation (Hart 1992)
Pathways to Participation (Shier 2001)
Intersectionality (Crenshaw 1989, 1991)
Theory of Recognition (Honneth 1995)
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

11. Findinges: Age vulnerability Being” / becoming
Organizational challenges
Power
Myths
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

12. Do I have any human rights? (Andreas 15, Politiken 22.November 2012)
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

13. Children’s participation
Participation in decisions making?
"I do not think I have so much here ... only they could change some of the things that I have said to them. I need help ... I wonder if I might be allowed to see my dad and ... every other week or a weekend or every three weeks or ... every four weeks or something. But nobody listen to my opinion” (Bo, 12 years).
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

14. Children’s participation
There may well be someone (an adult) that can help so that you are not alone in it (as a child). You are not sitting all alone with it. You may well have someone who supports one. The adults can come up with more ideas, and so the child can choose the best idea, or it may give rise to other ideas. It is important that the adult listening to, but it is also important that the child contributing to the conversation. So the adults bother to, help the child. The adult can give some ideas, but the child must also contribute, because if it does not happen, you as adults might think that it is not so important. It is important to make a decision together (from the dialogue meeting with 63 school children).
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

15. Important prerequisites for getting involved
“Adults must be clear in what they say. sometimes it is so difficult (to) understand what they(adults) do mean. It is important to know who you're talking to, and feel safe in conversation, Trust, "to be able to count on.“ (Bo, 12 years old)
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

16. Children’s participation
"It is the child that has the problem, therefore the child must also contribute to the conversation."   "Children think differently than adults”
“Involvement is also about understanding the vulnerable child. The adult must be able to familiarize themselves with it. To think what if it was them who were in the situation” (63 children)
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

17. Children’s participation
We will help to decide, but not to be responsible "If the municipality comes with growing solutions, the child can provide solutions that are good for them” …
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

18. Challenges and perspectives
Time, Trust and Transparency
New Pathways
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.- 18

19. Challenges and perspectives
Considerations
How far are we with children’s participation?
Requirements that children are involved in decisions ?
Are we prepared to consider sharing our adult decision-making power with children?
If yes, what about the responsibility ??
If not, what changes are required to make children’s participation possible?
Openings
Opportunitets
Obligations
Check technical readiness, procedure and practice
Are we professionally and politically obliged to involve children in decision- processes?
Are we ready to involve and share?
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

20. Challenges and perspectives
children’s participation in decisions making
Child protection
Participation
intersectionality
Ethical considerations
Communications
empowerment
Methods
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

21. Challenges and perspectives
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

22. Challenges and perspectives
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

23. Challenges and perspectives
1- Children are listened to children 2- Children are supported in expressing their views 3- Children's views are taken into account 4-Children are involved in decision-making processes 5- Children share power and responsibility for decision-making Shier 2001,
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

24. Challenges and perspectives
Different understanding of participation
Participation is more than “børnesamtale” (a conversation with the child)
Protection/Participation or a burden for the child
Intersectionality
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

25. Intersectionality   
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

26. Researching children's Perspective
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

27. Thank You for Your Attention
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.-

28. References
Hart, R. A. (1992) Children’s Participation, From Tokenism to Citizenship. Unicef.
Shier, Harry. (2001): Pathways to Participation: Openings, Opportunities and Obligations. Children & Society Volume 15 pp
Powell, Mary Ann and Smith, Anne B (2009)Children’s Participation Right in Research. Mary Ann Powell and Anne B Smith. Sage.
Turnell, Andrew & Edwards, Steve (1999). Signs of Safety: A solution and safety oriented approach to child protection casework. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Kornerup, I. og Petersen, M. (2014): ”Børns rettigheder og medborgerskabs- dannelse”. I Kornerup, I. og Næsby, T. (red.): Pædagogens grundfaglighed. Grundbog til pædagoguddannelsen. Frederikshavn: Dafolo Forlag.
Petersen, M. & Kornerup, I. (2015). Børns involvering i hverdagslivsbeslutninger og forandringsprocesser I Kornerup, I. og Næsby, T. (red.): Pædagogens grundfaglighed. Grundbog til pædagoguddannelsen. Frederikshavn: Dafolo Forlag, s s
Petersen, Mimi. (2013): Undersøgelse af ”Sikkerhedsplaner" som foranstaltning i arbejdet med udsatte børn i Roskilde Kommune. Institut for Socialt Arbejde, Delrapport 1.
Petersen, Mimi. (2014): Viden om børns forestilling, forventning og forståelse om involvering. Undersøgelse af ”Sikkerhedsplaner" som foranstaltning i arbejdet med udsatte børn i Roskilde Kommune. Institut for Socialt Arbejde, Delrapport 2
Petersen, M. Johansen, JS (2015). Sikkerhed i Centrum: Sikkerhedsplaner i socialt arbejde med børn og familier i udsatte positioner. Frederiksberg: Institut for Socialt Arbejde.
Researching children's Perspective...Lund October Mimi Petersen, Senior Lecturer, Ph.D.- 28