Swedish cities claim to involve kids in decisions—but have no formal system
Interviews with Swedish politicians reveal widespread ad-hoc efforts to include children in municipal decision-making, yet no standardized processes exist. For local governments trying to meet UN child participation commitments, the study exposes a gap between intent and implementation that could affect policy legitimacy and citizen trust.
Originaltitel: Political representatives' experiences of child participation in decision-making processes: A qualitative interview study
The aim was to explore political representatives' experiences of child participation in decision-making processes in municipalities. Interviews were conducted with Swedish politicians (n = 7) representing four municipalities. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. Politicians had experiences in child participation and methods for involving children and young people in the practice. However, methods were not formalized within the organizations, underlining that work lies ahead to ensure children's participation in decisions that concern them. Further research should focus on methods for including child participation at the municipal level and on following the implementation of the UNCRC.