OPINION:It is time to start valuing children now for what they can contribute to society, rather than seeing them as a potential problem
WHILE MANY young people thrive during childhood, others do not experience life as good or safe. Rightfully, in recent years, much attention has focused on how best to support vulnerable children and youth.
However, this debate almost always seems to occur following a tragedy that has come to public attention, for example, the recent Roscommon incest case here and the death of Baby P in England. Why should it take instances of such severe adversity, which can also sometimes include youth causing serious harm in society, to mobilise “fire brigade thinking” about how best to work with and for young people?
Even more worrying, with the inevitable incoming tide of “cutbacks” in services in Ireland (and elsewhere) a decrease in vital and relatively low cost preventive services and supports to young people may actually increase their risk of harm. Clearly, the harsh experience of many children often demands remedial interventions that sometimes culminate in their removal from their families and communities. However, there is growing international research evidence that early interventions delivered through inclusive family support programmes for all types of family structures, particularly in disadvantaged communities, can work.
In times of limited resources for children and families in need, we must not overlook this.
Furthermore, even before any professional intervention, family, friends, school and community resources are the proven primary sources of help for children and are often the unsung heroes in the lives of young people.
Ensuring basic support to families and communities is the key to upholding this natural army of help. These structures need to be preserved, particularly as now and over time, more families will find themselves under stress. Even for children who have severe difficulties and come to the constant attention of professionals, the potential of engaging them in civic society through prevention programmes may be vital to their overcoming adversity.
Our current crisis will need the support of children as well as adults and, ironically, by mobilising support from young people to communities in age appropriate ways, we may find solutions to the difficulties young people face. Rather than seeing children and youth as passive agents, if we view them as having a valuable contribution to make and as active players, there may be a notable benefit to civil society.
Even at the basic level of respect, how many young people are asked to purchase now or leave a restaurant, skipped in a queue to begin with, or when they go on to the street have a high frequency alarm sound in their ear to keep them moving. While much is made of the misbehaviour of children and youth not enough is made of what they do well. Thus, it is time to start valuing children now for what they can contribute to civic society and not think or speak of them solely as having value “into the future”. In this light, children have a proven capacity to be civically active in communities where, by being supportive to others, they benefit themselves in terms of improved self-esteem, and coping capacity. For example in both tsunami and 9/11 crises there is evidence of immediate and rapid support from children and youth to help those in distress and in advance of rescue services. Similarly, in more mundane contexts through engagement, children can make a real difference in the everyday life of their communities and at the same time, create space to express their views and engage in decision making. Indeed, based on my life experiences, years of direct work with young people, their parents and communities, and from my academic research, I have come to the conclusion that civically engaging troubled and or troublesome children and youth produces benefits for all children. Particularly in the case of children who are experiencing severe difficulties, their civic engagement can lead to significant improvement in their futures and help rebuild key relationships in their lives. There are many examples of excellent initiatives which enable young people to be altruistic in their community, for example projects like Fóroige’s Active Citizenship Programme.
However, this potential for children and youth tends to remain untapped and undervalued in Ireland and internationally. For example, in European countries currently in transition, while there is a tradition of accessing the opinion of youth, this is not always reflected in evidence of their being overt active players in communities.
In sub-Saharan countries, gender difference and human rights are often a prominent issue for children in civic society, not just in terms of political activation but also in community contexts. For instance, in parts of Africa the capacity of girls to engage as active citizens in their local schools is often muted. More locally here in Ireland, the extent to which the voice of disadvantaged children and youth is really heard compared to those who have wealth is an issue.
If we are to learn anything from past tragedies to children, professionals will need to work better together and in more innovative ways in engaging troubled children and their families, based on a parity of esteem. In this context, rather than seeing the involvement of children in communities as valuable, it now needs to be valued as necessary.
Moreover, in terms of early intervention, I would argue that civic engagement could be crucial to their coping. As a society we are questioning whether the current economic crisis could have been prevented. Similarly, rather than asking the same question when a serious child abuse crisis comes to public attention, retaining and enhancing preventive services combined with a new approach and respect for young people through their civic engagement may help avoid the question. If so, this can be enjoyed by children and adults alike in Ireland and shared internationally.
Prof Pat Dolan is Unesco chairman of Children, Youth and Civic Engagement at the Child and Family Research Centre in NUI Galway. Prof Dolan will deliver his inaugural lecture at the launch of the programme by President Mary McAleese in NUI Galway today.