Carleton University, Canada.
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Dec;110(Pt 1):104398. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104398. Epub 2020 Feb 27.
This paper examines the inter-relationship between the rights to protection and to participation that are embodied in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Considerable investment has been made over the past 30 years, from local to global levels, in listening to children, affording them opportunity to speak out and to hold adults to account in the realisation of their rights. This experience has highlighted the extent to which listening to children is not only right in principle, but is also a necessary and invaluable means through which to strengthen protection from violence, exploitation and abuse. Only by listening to children it is possible to fully understand the nature, scale and impact of violence in their lives and to develop appropriate responses and services. Only if children can speak out about the violence or abuse they face, does it become possible to challenge it and end impunity for those who seek to hurt children. The right to participate is not only fundamental to children's dignity, and sense of self-esteem and selfefficacy, but is also a vital dimension of their protection. However, in most countries around the world, multiple barriers impede its realisation. If violence against children is to be ended, investment is now needed in measures to build an enabling environment in which every child, including the very young, children with disabilities and those from the most marginalised communities, is able to contribute meaningfully to the decisions that impact on their lives, and to challenge violations of their rights.
本文探讨了《联合国儿童权利公约》所体现的保护权和参与权之间的相互关系。在过去的 30 年里，从地方到全球各级，人们为倾听儿童的意见投入了大量资金，为他们提供了发言权，并要求成年人在实现儿童权利方面承担责任。这一经验突显了倾听儿童的意见不仅在原则上是正确的，而且也是加强保护儿童免受暴力、剥削和虐待的必要和宝贵手段。只有倾听儿童的意见，才能充分了解他们生活中的暴力的性质、规模和影响，并制定适当的应对措施和服务。只有当儿童能够公开谈论他们所面临的暴力或虐待时，才有可能对其进行挑战，并结束那些试图伤害儿童的人的有罪不罚现象。参与权不仅是儿童尊严、自尊心和自我效能感的基础，也是保护儿童的重要方面。然而，在世界上大多数国家，多重障碍阻碍了参与权的实现。如果要结束针对儿童的暴力行为，现在就需要投资采取措施，建立一个有利的环境，使每个儿童，包括最年幼的儿童、残疾儿童和来自最边缘化社区的儿童，都能够为影响他们生活的决策做出有意义的贡献，并对侵犯他们权利的行为提出挑战。
