Adults Need to Be Able to Make Decisions for and with Children - Essay Example

ADULTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR AND WITH CHILDREN, SOMETIMES FOR, SOMETIMES WITH By Location Adults need to be Able to Make Decisions For and With Children, Sometimes For, Sometimes With Introduction Children’s Participation in decision-making has received attention in the recent past. This is after the realization that for many years, children have lacked the opportunity to express their opinions. Evidently, children as young as between 0 and 5 years have an opinion and a voice. However, the society has created numerous barriers preventing children from voicing out their opinion. Children have made it evident that they would appreciate it if adults took the opportunity to listen to them. Stephen Leverett addressed the issue of children’s participation in chapter five of the book titled, Connecting with Children: Developing Working Relationships. Leverett sought to highlight the effective development of positive adult-children relationships (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 161). It emerges that participation and involvement of children in both political and cultural activities can help them become better citizens in the future by gaining early awareness about issues. Moreover, children need the opportunity to develop decision-making skills and this can only happen if and only when they have opportunities to engage actively in decision making processes. According to Leverett, there are situations that may compel adults to make decisions for children. Whereas other situations demand that adults should make decisions with children. This paper will focus on describing the different situations that may compel adults to either make decision for, and with children. The arguments in the paper will centre on decisions within the family system and concerning services for children. There is evidence suggesting that participation and involvement of children in service development as well as in family decision-making can present numerous benefits. Participation in this case denotes the opportunity granted to children to voice out their views, contribute to the decision making process, and consequently achieve a measure of change. The participation of children should have its basis on their willingness and awareness of the importance of participation. It should also include all the children irrespective of age and physical abilities. When children have the opportunity to participate in decision-making, they develop a diverse range of communication skills. Participation includes the expression of opinions, which requires children to develop confidence within them (Cox 2010, p. 78). When children have the opportunity to contribute in the decision making process at an early age, they grow up to become individuals who can add value to sophisticated decision-making processes. Participation and involvement of children also help them gain political and cultural awareness. Since the participation process involves the specific roles played by adults, it gives them a better opportunity to offer relevant support to their children. Evidently, children have their unique needs and are aware of issues that do not favour them. Participation and involvement creates a critical platform that enables children to articulate their needs. Moreover, allowing children to participate in decision-making processes serves to reinforce their rights, protecting them and fostering their interests (Lefevre 2010, p. 64). Worth noting is the fact that participation and involvement in decision making processes help children to undertake constructive self-reflective processes that help them develop and recognize their identities from a personal perspective as well as at a collective level. The United Nations Conventions on the right of the child held in 1989 placed emphasis on the need to include children in decision making processes because they deserve “the right of both respect and dignity as equal human beings” (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 163). Different researchers have described the different levels in which participation can operate. These levels deal with different services for children. One of these levels is within individual setting in entities such as schools whereby children have the opportunity to decide on the school’s schedule as well as the curriculum. Individual service providers may also present children with an opportunity to participate, especially when they are deciding the best services for the children. Government agencies also have the opportunity to involve children in decision making in their efforts to plan and allocate resources for services provided to children. Other government agencies and departments have the responsibility to develop policies that govern services granted to children (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 165). They should also allow the participation of children if this venture is to be successful. International bodies also provide an additional level of participation for children. For example, the United Nations has set up different programs that give children an opportunity to participate. Worth noting is the fact that participation should receive the regard it deserves as a process and not a one-time event. This is because children should have the opportunity to express their views to adults; adults should then take action accordingly, and eventually give feedback on how childrens ideas form a basis in policy and practice. Chapter four of the book titled, Connecting with Children: Developing Working Relationships, it became evident that there are times when adults have to make decisions for children while in other circumstances, adults have to make the decisions with children. One of the researchers describing models of participation developed a ladder of participation that highlights the relationships of children and adults in different decision-making scenarios (McLeod 2008, p. 93). The Hart’s ladder of participation, developed in 1992 highlights the interrelationship between adults and children in the decision making process at various levels. According to Leverett, the first three levels in the ladder do not exhibit any form of participation. The first step is manipulative, a situation that compels children to conform to the decisions made by adults. The second step is the decoration, which involves children in an activity without giving them an opportunity to understand either the context or purpose of the activity (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 168). The third step is tokenism, which allows children to express their views, but have limitations concerning the scope of ideas that they can talk about. These three levels define non-participation of children. It defines the silencing of childrens opinions and denies them the opportunity to articulate their needs. It is unfortunate that many parents use these participation methods in family decision-making processes. Many of the parents only manipulate their children by giving them suggestions of what they should do. Even when children have the opportunity of taking part in an event or decision-making in the family, they lack awareness of the context of the event. At the third level, parents give their children minimal opportunities to voice out their views, but place limitations on ideas that they can voice out. In an era whereby effective working relationships between adults and children entirely depends on participation, these three levels deny children such an opportunity (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 169). When these participation methods determine the interrelationship between adults and children, then children often feel that their opinion does not receive the attention it deserves. This explains why Leverett has highlighted these three levels as non-participation. However, five other different levels exhibit varying interrelationships between adults and children in the decision-making process. In one of the levels, which forms the fourth rung in the ladder involves adults making decisions on certain projects and allowing children to be involved through volunteering. In such cases, the adults ensure that children understand the purpose and context of the project as well as the reasons why their participation is important. Although the adults make the decisions, they exhibit special respect to the views of the children (Winsvold et al 2010, p. 110). This level of adult-child relationships in decision-making is of significant importance in certain projects when children lack the cognitive ability or skills as well as the knowledge required to make an effective decision. Therefore, adults make the decision for the children. However, they allow children to participate by making them understand the importance of the made decision, and why their participation is significant. On a different level, decision-making involves consultation and informing children. Usually, this level of decision-making and participation ensures that children exhibit a lengthy understanding of the decision making process and the importance of the decisions taken (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 170). Although adults make the decisions, there is a rigorous consultation process with the children and the final decision takes consideration of the opinions of the children. In such a case, both children and adults have a critical role to play in the decision making process. At this level, adults begin to make decisions with the children and not just for the children. They realize that children have needs and concerns that should determine the services offered to them as well as the level of support needed. In other situations, a deeper level of childrens participation in the decision making process is evident. This occurs in situations when adults initiate certain projects, but give children the opportunity to plan and implement the project. In each step of the planning and the implementation process, the opinion of the children is of significant importance. Moreover, children have the room to participate in the real decision making process. This is a realistic situation when adults make decisions with children (Winsvold et al 2010, p. 76). In such a situation, children have the required understanding and capacity to take active participation in the planning and implementation of projects that can benefit children. It allows children to involve themselves in determining the final decision. At a higher level of adult -child relationship in decision-making, Hart highlighted a different level whereby children initiate projects and direct them to the end. Although the presence of adults is important, they do not have any leading role in the decision making process. In such a situation, children make the decisions for themselves (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 168). This is a higher level of decision making by children. For this to happen, children need to exhibit the required potential of initiating and implementing projects while making critical decisions. The final level in the ladder exhibits other situations whereby children come up with ideas defines projects, and invite adults to participate in the decision making process. Notably, these five levels of participation soot different circumstances. At each level, the adults need to ensure that the level of participation matches the abilities, resources, and the ambitions of the children. Worth noting is the fact that children form a heterogeneous group of people. The level of decision-making and participation adopted should take into consideration the diversity of children. Different children exhibit varied cognitive abilities. Therefore, their level of participation depends on their cognitive potential. Evidently, adults should focus on either creating opportunities for children to participate in the decision-making process within the family system or regarding services defined for children. It is against human rights to silence children and bar them from expressing their views. It is critical to appreciate childhood as an active social agency, and embrace the different modes of expression exhibited by children. Even in situations when adults need to make decisions for children, the decisions should foster the interests of the children. This is because adults should make decisions for children in circumstances whereby the children lack the required resources and capacities to make the decisions themselves. However, the adults should let the children understand the context and purpose of such decisions (Foleyn & Leverett 2008, p. 178). For example, a sick child may not be able to make decisions on the best treatment procedures available. The parent must make decisions concerning alternative treatment procedures, however; the decision of parents depends on the views of medical experts. When medical practitioners consult parents without involving the children, then it leaves out the child’s opinion. Such children need to understand vividly why the medical practitioners are making certain decisions and how they are likely to affect the life of the child. This should happen irrespective of the age of the child. Children need to understand health care decisions that affect their lives, although they will not make the decision, they should understand the context of the decision (Winsvold et al 2010, p. 54). It is important for adults to understand the needs of children, their abilities, and their potential before making decisions. Sometimes children only need a level of support and then they can make the decisions themselves. Effective participation of children should ensure that adults identify the strengths of children as well as the level of support they need in the decision making process. Worth noting is the fact that adults should involve all children without any form of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, or disability. This is especially the case in the decision that surrounds services for children. When adults need to take the responsibility of making the decision for the children, they should ensure that they promote equality. Moreover, children belonging to all these diverse groups have varied needs. These needs should determine the decision made by the adults. Evidently, not all the situations will present an opportunity for adults to make decisions with children (Cox 2010, p. 94). This is especially the case when dealing with issues beyond their understanding. However, the most important thing should be that adults should assess the potentials of the children as well as the criticality of the situation. All the decisions made should have their basis on the fact that children are equal human beings and should foster their interests. Conclusion Evidently, participation and involvement of children in decision-making have received much attention in the recent past. This has come due to the understanding that children have a voice and unique needs irrespective of their age. However, adults should be able to discern the criticality of the situation and the potentials, resources, and ambitions of children in an effort to determine whether they should make the decision for the children or whether they should make the children with the children. For example, within the family setting, children can have the opportunity to participate in certain decisions as long as they have the cognitive abilities to make the right decisions. When children exhibit the required potential knowledge and resources required in a certain decision making process, a deeper level of participation should ensue with adults making the decision with the children. Bibliography Cox, S 2010, Children as decision makers in education: Sharing experiences across cultures, London: Continuum. Foley, P., & Leverett, S 2008,Connecting with children: Developing working relationships, Bristol, U.K: Policy. Lefevre, M 2010, Communicating with children and young people: Making a difference, Bristol, UK: Policy Press. McLeod, A. 2008, Listening to children: A practitioners guide, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Winsvold, A., Solberg, A., Nordisk Ministerråd, & Nordisk Råd 2010, Models for childrens involvement - a collection of case studies: Nordic countries mark the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Kbh: Nordisk Ministerråd. Read More