Hidden Aspects of Children’s Rights History

Abstract

The discourse on children’s rights has many facets and meanings. They can be understood as a special form of human rights or as guidelines that separate childhood as a phase in life and as a status from adulthood. Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a differentiation is often made among protection, provision and participation rights or rights to freedom. Besides rights to secure the basic needs of children, rights that serve to ensure the development of children are emphasized. Therefore children’s rights can be understood as ‘welfare rights’ which are enforced by adults on behalf of, and in the interest of, children or as ‘agency rights’ which are used and enforced by children themselves. Analogous to general human rights, children’s rights can be distinguished as civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Finally, it is possible to speak of ‘unwritten rights’ (Ennew, 2002) of children besides the codified rights that are based in international treaties or national legislation. They are thought of or invented and demanded by children or other people.

We respect our masters and are willing to work for our living and that of our parents, but we want more time to rest, to play a little, and to learn reading and writing. We do not think it right that we have to work and suffer from Monday early to Saturday night to make others rich. Honourable Gentlemen, enquire carefully into our situation!

(Children’s petition to the House of Commons, England, 1836)¹