Promoting a Culture of Respect for Children’s Rights

The Roles of the State, the Family, Civil Society and the Media

Ana Teresa León

A culture of respect for the rights of children and adolescents implies:

The dissemination and enforcement of the rights of children and adolescents in daily life, at home, educational centers and the community, which are their immediate environment

The commitment of all social actors for the benefit of such population, reflected in concrete actions to build up values of democracy, equity, justice, peace, solidarity and human development

Respect for and knowledge of the development of children and adolescents and their gradual autonomy, so that their rights and duties become effective by means of practices corresponding to their age, environment and individual characteristics

The participation of children and adolescents

The Family Role It defines the material, emotional, stimulating and

socializing context It depends on internal and external resources Its dynamics and function set the conditions that restrict or

promote children’s rights and participation It determines the access to and management of resources,

including technological means and the use of media It generates new visions of itself

For all the above reasons, among others, its strengthening is urgent

Directly co-responsible: the State

Responsible for universal social policies and for ensuring the access to quality services aimed to right enforcement and the promotion of integral development

It ensures socioeconomic and psycho-social support to families

Responsible for the prevention of risk factors and vulnerability

Surveillance and monitoring of any factor affecting children’s rights, particularly violence, including the one that emerges from the media

It ensures the recovery of rights Responsible for providing every child and adolescent

the opportunities to develop their potential

Civil Society: NGOs and groups Permanent advocacy Assurance of right enforcement Promotion of rights within the community context Continuous training and development Surveillance and constructive projection Coordination with each other and with the government Contribution of expertise, best practices and experience Transparency and effectiveness

The Churches Take advantage of their summoning power for

dissemination purposes Increase their participation and involvement in this issue Ensure right-related training of their leaders, preachers

and other members Promote a positive approach of children and

adolescents Strengthen the rights of children and adolescents Promote family support services and programs in order

to develop a culture of peace Privilege message conveyance through the media

Universities Research at professional and students’ level Methodology assessment Curricular inclusion of children and adolescents:

professional care for children and adolescents Internships and university jobs Production of material Promotion and dissemination on rights Reflections and prospects on this issue and

related institutional actions

Private effort To assume social responsibilities for equity

promotion To privilege social investment and recognize the

relevance of childhood and adolescence Training on rights To foster promotion and education on children

and adolescents To support already tested initiatives To promote new ideas and projects To favor healthy environments

Communication technology and media

Newspapers, radio programs, TV, Internet, videogames, advertising Need for sensibilization and training Regulation and children´s rights Terms provided for in Article 17 in the Convention and national

legislations Free expression vis-à-vis the best interest of children

Direct effects: Violence Competition with books, school and physical recreation Promoted values, behavior and models

Indirect effects

Radio Newspapers Ethical principles governing child information Requirements for interviews News and events Training for journalists and media personnel The conveyed image of children and adolescents Easy recipes and positive news

Visual means Could be very positive Role of the family and the educational

center Impact on children by age groups Beyond journalism

Everybody is responsible The family as the life core of children and

adolescents should be strengthened by a State committed to its development, preserving the rights of family members, specially children, with the support of civil society and the media, which become generators of opinion. A culture of respect for rights can only be created with everybody’s participation.