Why Governments Fail to Listen to Children, Even When Policy Demands It
A Swedish study reveals why child participation in welfare policy development repeatedly falls short despite legal mandates and institutional support. Researchers identified systemic barriers at national, regional, and local levels that silence young voices—findings with direct implications for how governments design and implement rights-based policies across sectors.
Originaltitel: Participation Put on Hold: On Unfulfilled Expectations of Children’s Contribution to Policy-Making for Prevention
<p>Despite support from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), children’s actual influence on welfare policy remains inconsistent. This study investigates why children’s collective participation (CCP) failed in Swedish policy development for prevention, despite organisational openings, obligations, and opportunities. The policy development involved health care, social work, preschools, schools, and the police in an initiative inspired by the Scottish policy, “Getting it Right for Every Child” (GIRFEC). Through qualitative analysis of meeting observations, documents, and key informant interviews, we provide an empirical example of how child rights governance can manifest in complex welfare policy development efforts. We identify broadly applicable mechanisms at national, regional, and local levels that hinder CCP in such contexts. The conclusions focus on management approaches to address these mechanisms and anticipated challenges, based on a holistic understanding of child rights and critical reflection to effectively promote children’s rights and children’s collective participation. -</p>