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Priscilla Alderson examines the issue of young children's rights,
starting with the question of how the 1989 UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child applies to the youngest
children, from birth to eight years of age. The question of finding a
balance between young children's rights to protection, to provision
(resources and services) and to participation (expressing their
views, being responsible) is discussed. The author suggests that, in
the belief we are looking after their best
interests, we have become overprotective of children and deny them
the freedom to be expressive, creative and active, and that improving
the way adults and children communicate is the best way of redressing
that balance. She considers some of the problems adults may have
communicating with children and offers practical suggestions as to
how these can be overcome.
Young Children's Rights is published by Jessica Kingsley for Save the
Children, the leading international voluntary
organisation for children in the UK, who saw the need for this book
and commissioned the work. This readable, informative
and thought-provoking book is a compelling invitation to rethink our
attitudes to young children's rights in the light of new
theories, research and practical evidence about children's daily
lives. It will be of interest to anyone who works with young children.
Priscilla Alderson PhD is Reader in Childhood Studies at the Social
Science Research Unit,
Institute of Education, University of London.
CONTENTS: Foreword, by the Younger Children's Team, Save the
Children. Foreword, by
Mary John. 1. Children's and babies' rights and the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child,
1989. 2. Young Children as people. 3. Beliefs and feelings about
consulting young children. 4.
Methods of involving young children. 5. Levels of young children's
involvement. 6.
Consulting young children through work and play. 7. Risk and control,
conflict and violence.
8. Working together: Sharing decisions and responsibility. 9. The key
messages from the
evidence and experience. References. Resources. Indexes.
Owner: Priscilla Alderson