Author: Yvonne Vissing
This book critically examines why a human rights framework would improve the wellbeing and status of young people. It explores children’s rights to provision, protection, and participation from human rights and clinical sociological perspectives, and from historical to contemporary events. It discusses how different ideologies have shaped the way we view children and their place in society, and how, despite the rhetoric of children’s protection, people under 18 years of age experience more poverty, violence, and oppression than other group in society. The book points to the fact that the USA is the only member of the United Nations not to ratify a children’s human rights treaty; and the impact of this decision finds US children less healthy and less safe than children in other developed countries. It shows how a rights-respecting framework could be created to improve the lives of our youngest citizens – and the future of democracy.
Authored by a renowned clinical sociologist and international human rights scholar, this book is of interest to researchers, students, social workers and policymakers working in the area of children’s wellbeing and human rights.
What children’s rights are and why children need, deserve, and are entitled to them
How we have framed children and their rights
Why supporting children’s human rights also supports parents
Children are a minority group who face similar oppressions as other minority groups
What the Constitution says, and doesn’t, about human rights
Why “what is a child?” is so difficult to figure out
What does “child provision” mean? What is child protection really today?
Child participation: they will name the game
Why professionals and organizations need human rights training
Why human rights parenting education is essential to make happy, healthy families
What human rights education could do to make our schools safer and our children smarter
Why children are not objects or property to be done-to
What it means to invest in children – and what it means not to
Watching our words: how to talk to and about children and youth
Why we need to pay attention to children’s rights – they are voters-in-progress
Why the treatment of children is laying the foundation for democracy – or autocracy
Children’s human rights as a misunderstood concept Why a youth rights movement is essential
Democracy is in their hands, so give them good tools to build with
What can cities and towns do to become child friendly communities?
Steps communities can take to become rights respecting communities – where every member counts
HRE USA 