Abstract Substantial work has been devoted to the rights that children in conflict with the law are entitled to under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child because of and through their contact with the justice system. However, less attention has been given thus far to how many of the other rights children are entitled to under the Convention are implemented when children come into conflict with the law. This article aims to make a case for better recognition of the relevance and importance of Article 31 rights, particularly rights relating to participation in cultural life and the arts, for children in conflict with the law. In addition to recognising the intrinsic value of these rights for all children, it aims to highlight the potential instrumental value of better recognition of these rights in supporting the realisation of the specific rights children in conflict with the law are entitled to, particularly under Articles 37 and 40.
Abstract This paper examines avatar-mediated child sexual abuse and exploitation (AMCSAE) as an emerging form of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). Drawing on interdisciplinary legal research and doctrinal legal research, the article explores how AMCSAE materializes through interaction- and form-based risks, and how mediated embodiment intensifies its psychological, physical, relational, and economic harms. Situating AMCSAE within the broader CSAE continuum, it conceptualizes the phenomenon as a specific form of technology-facilitated CSAE and proposes a working definition that highlights the mediating role of avatars. The analysis further demonstrates how AMCSAE violates children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC). By clarifying risks, harms, and legal implications, the article provides a foundation for further research towards mitigating AMCSAE.
Abstract This article examines the landscape of co-investigation with children and adolescents, focusing on how their participation is distributed across the various stages of the research process. It offers a review of the scientific literature to identify and analyse the extent of Children and Adolescents involvement, highlighting the persistent power asymmetries that continue to constrain their substantive participation. Although many studies recognise children as social actors capable of contributing meaningfully to social research, their involvement is frequently confined to specific phases, most commonly data collection. However, exemplary cases demonstrate that meaningful and sustained participation is achievable when appropriate epistemological, ethical, and methodological conditions are in place. The findings help to consolidate the theoretical and methodological foundations required for a more equitable and intergenerational production of knowledge in research involving children and adolescents.
Abstract There is a growing interest in standardised, child-reported tools to foster more research on children’s right to participation. To support this goal, our study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Child and Adolescent Participation in Decision Making Questionnaire (CAP-DMQ). A total of 373 adolescents aged 14 to 17 (74.8% girls) completed the survey package. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the scale’s unidimensional structure. The network model revealed the central role of the sense of involvement and opportunities to weigh alternatives, suggesting that providing children with space to express themselves is crucial for their participation. Positive associations between CAP-DMQ and well-being, quality of life and positive parenting perceived by adolescents, along with a negative correlation with negative parenting, underscore the scale’s potential to explore factors affecting children’s participation and its relationship with developmental outcomes. While the CAP-DMQ can facilitate interdisciplinary, basic and applied research, further validation is needed.
