'Does age and maltreatment matter? A survey experiment of the nordic populations' attitudes towards participation'.

Abstract

Background: Balancing children's right to participate and their need for protection constitutes a core dilemma in child protection. The CRC obligates states to facilitate and ensure participation for all children, regardless of age and maturity. Still, children are repeatedly excluded from child protection proceedings on paternalistic grounds, even in the child-centric and child-rights-oriented Nordic countries.

Objective: From a policy theory perspective, this study explores the participation-protection dilemma by investigating Nordic citizens' attitudes towards children's participation and need for protection. Specifically, it examines how children's age and type of maltreatment affect these attitudes.

Participants and setting: Survey data from a representative sample of the populations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden (N = 5073).

Methods: The study utilises an experimental survey methodology, using a between-subjects factorial vignette design. The child's age (5 or 15 years) and type of maltreatment exposure (sexual violence, physical violence, or emotional neglect) are systematically varied across the vignettes randomly assigned to the population.

Results: Nordic citizens support children's participation in child protection, but country differences exist. There is less support for participation for younger children and higher levels of protective attitudes. The type of maltreatment did not matter for citizens' assessment of participation. However, citizens are more protective towards children exposed to emotional neglect, especially younger children.

Conclusions: Children's right to participate is widely accepted in the Nordic population, yet normative barriers persist. The study sheds light on the paradox of persisting violation of children's participatory rights despite supportive national policies and legal structures that facilitate implementation.