Children's and Young People's Participation in Public Decision-Making (original) (raw)

2008, The International Journal of Children's Rights

and Children's Rights Consultant Over the last decade, the rhetoric of participation has become prominent within policy and practice pertaining to children and young people, both in the UK and internationally. Th e UNCRC states that a child's views must be considered and taken into account in all matters aff ecting the child, subject to the child's age and maturity (Article 12). In line with this, an increasing number of governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are seeking to involve children and young people in 'public' decision-making: that is, collective decision-making about such matters as policy, services and strategies. As practice and policy have proliferated, tensions and challenges have been revealed. Even amongst the most ardent supporters of children and young people's participation, there are concerns about tokenism, lack of impact and consultation fatigue. Th eoretical work on children and young people's participation has not kept abreast of such challenges. Debates within the diff erent academic communities have rarely coincided and, to date, the UK and international literature have failed adequately to inform each other. While the limitations of participatory methods are often discussed, a host of important questions surrounding the precise nature, politics and ethical status of participation remain largely unasked and unanswered.