Adults’ Endorsement of Children’s Protection and Participation Rights and Likelihood of Reporting Abuse

Abstract

Children’s rights only serve their purpose in as far as they are recognised as rights by those who can exercise them. This study examined a sample of Irish adults’ (predominantly students; n=83) perceptions of children’s participation and protection rights across two age groups of children (seven- and 14-year-olds). Participants completed the Perceptions of Children’s Rights Questionnaires and likelihood of reporting child abuse online. A within-groups four-factor anova examined differences between the perceptions participation and protection rights across the two age categories. Participants endorsed protection rights more than participation rights for both age groups and reported a higher endorsement of protection rights and a lower endorsement of participation rights for seven-year-olds compared with 14-year-olds. Participants were more likely to report the abuse of a seven-year-old compared with a 14-year-old, and participants’ endorsement of protection rights significantly predicted likelihood of reporting abuse. These findings have implications for how children’s rights are viewed in Irish society and how these rights may be enacted.