Rights Of Young People Research Articles

Joves migrats en contextos rurals. Per a una nova ruralitat global i culturalment diversa: polítiques d'inclusió social dels joves emigrats sols als municipis petits

<p>A partir de la seva experiència de treball en el servei de primera acollida de persones estrangeres de l’Equip d’Inclusió i Atenció a la Comunitat de l’àrea de Benestar del Consell Comarcal de l’Alt Empordà, les autores reflexionen sobre el suport als joves emigrats sols, especialment quan aquest s’ha de prestar des de municipis rurals. La seva experiència de treball en aquest àmbit i des d’aquests contextos ha estat pionera: el desembre del 2018 van posar en marxa la taula comarcal de joves sense referents adults, per coordinar<br />tots els agents que treballen a l’Alt Empordà amb aquests joves. En aquest article s’apunten tres línies de treball que poden facilitar l’acollida i inclusió social dels joves emigrats sols: 1) el disseny i la implementació de polítiques locals que garanteixin els drets dels joves i el seu empoderament; 2) polítiques pensades des de la proximitat i l’acció comunitària; i 3) polítiques emmarcades en una visió estratègica global del desenvolupament social i sostenible dels municipis rurals amb eines de diagnòstic concretes. Les autores, a més, aporten una eina per al diagnòstic i la promoció de les accions comunitàries orientades a la inclusió social d’aquests joves. Finalment, apunten les que entenen que seran les línies de treball en un futur proper.</p>

Examining the relationship between physical and sexual violence and psychosocial health in young people living with HIV in rural South Africa.

IntroductionExperiences of violence during youth contravene young people’s rights and increase the risk of depression and poor human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLWH). Intervention targets for mitigating the negative psychosocial effects of violence are needed, particularly in areas like rural South Africa where violence remains pervasive and mental healthcare is limited. This study aims to quantify the associations between physical and sexual violence and depressive symptoms in YLWH in rural South Africa and explore the modification of these associations by key measures of psychosocial well‐being.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional survey among 362 YLWH ages 12 to 24 in rural South Africa to ascertain participants’ history of physical and sexual violence, current depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression Scale) and levels of social support (Medical Outcomes Social Support Scale), resilience (Conner‐Davidson Resilience Scale) and self‐esteem (Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale). Log‐binomial regression was used to estimate the association between history of physical or sexual violence and clinically meaningful depressive symptoms (scores ≥16). Effect measure modification by high versus low resilience, social support and self‐esteem was assessed using likelihood ratio tests (α = 0.20).ResultsA total of 334 individuals with a median age of 21 (interquartile range: 16 to 23) were included in this analysis. Most participants were female (71.3%), single (81.4%) and attending school (53.0%). Ninety‐four participants (28.1%) reported a history of physical or sexual violence and 92 individuals (27.5%) had clinically meaningful depressive symptoms. Meaningful depressive symptoms were significantly higher among participants with a history of physical or sexual violence as compared to those with no history of violence (adjusted prevalence ratio: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.83). However, this association was significantly modified by social support (p = 0.04) and self‐esteem (p = 0.02).ConclusionsIn this setting, the prevalence of meaningful depressive symptoms was significantly higher among YLWH with a history of physical or sexual violence as compared to those without a history of violence. However, higher levels of self‐esteem or social support appeared to mitigate this association. Programmes to improve self‐esteem and social support for youth have the potential to minimize depressive symptoms in YLWH who have experienced physical or sexual violence.

“Please Teach Students that Sex is a Healthy Part of Growing Up”: Australian Students’ Desires for Relationships and Sexuality Education

Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) for young people in Australia and elsewhere is a contentious topic. While focus has been on sexting practices, curriculum and policy and teachers and schools, few studies have examined how discourses of silencing are reflected in what young people want from their RSE. Using thematic analysis on 1258 open-ended comments from a 2018 survey of young people and sexual health and a theoretical framework of ‘Thick Desire,’ this paper explores what students in Australia desire from a RSE program and how they have come to understand those desires. This analysis reveals that young people in Australia understand and are articulate about the gaps in their RSE. Young people are negotiating a ‘silencing’ of knowledge and education around several important factors and are drawing from broader social, cultural and political influences that shape their experiences. Specifically, young people actively desire a RSE that includes more in-depth information about sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and sexual health issues, programs that are inclusive of diverse genders and sexualities, RSE that is delivered by qualified providers and programs that include discussions concerning relationships, consent and pleasure. The findings of this study suggest several important policy recommendations to improve RSE education, particularly focusing on the sexual rights of young people, the lack of consistency and clarity in existing RSE national policy and the impact that silencing can have on young people’s knowledge and safety in engaging in sexual activity.

Debate: The impact of school closures and lockdown on mental health in young people.

The COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown response has had a disproportionate and damaging effect on the lives, mental health and well‐being of young people globally. They have been neglected in policy‐making and their needs have been subjugated to those of adults which contravenes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here, I argue that the needs and rights of young people must come first to protect their health, mental health and futures. If we do not do this, we will let down a generation of children who will bear the brunt of the fallout of the economic burden of the global COVID‐19 crisis.

"MAY THE SHAME BE WITH YOU. ALWAYS." MITIGATING YOUNG PEOPLE'S INTIMATE EXCHANGES ONLINE

Cultural anxiety about the impact of young people's intimate exchanges online has increased over the past 15 years. Sexual media and 'digital intimacies' are routinely understood to be a source of harm and adverse outcomes. This paper engages with Finland's National Bureau of Investigation's $2 video campaign, the Police of Finland's public announcements on 'teen sexting' between 2017–2019 and young Finns responses to such educational efforts by using data from $2 study that is a part of a more significant research project on intimacy in data-driven culture in Finland. My research interest lies with some of the disconnections between current educational and policy discourses addressing young people's participation in digital cultures, and the lived experiences of young Finns. By asking from a focus-group of young Finns aged 15–19-years-old how they and their peers experience digital intimacy and their perceptions of the benefits, possible risks and harms, mitigations and solutions, I can draw a more ethical yet a complex picture of young people's engagement with digital intimacies. I call for a focus on the political, ethical and material implications of such educational efforts and policy responses that premises on digital abstinence to critically reflect on the question of young people's (sexual) rights in digital environments. The University of Turku ethics board has approved the research design and the uses of all the research datasets.

The influence of peer relationships on young people's sexual health in Sub-Saharan African street contexts

This paper explores the interaction between peer relationships and sexual health among street youth in three Sub-Saharan African cities: Accra (Ghana), Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo), and Harare (Zimbabwe). It begins by conceptualising peer relationships for youth globally and considers why these are pivotal for young people living in street settings. The paper reconceptualizes street peer relationships not as replacement families, but as sharing ‘social anchorage’ in the street space. It draws on qualitative ethnographic data from Growing up on the Streets, a longitudinal research project with a participatory methodology undertaken between 2012 and 2016 and engaging street youth (aged 14–20 at project outset) trained in ethnographic observations as research assistants (n = 18), following a network of ten peers (n = 229 by 2016), reporting their experiences in weekly interviews with facilitators. A wider network attended focus groups (n = 399). The project engaged a ‘capability’ approach, with ten capabilities defined by street youth as key to their daily lives. Empirical evidence is from a subset of data qualitatively coded (using NVivo) against capabilities ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Friendship’, across all interviews, focus groups and cities (n = 212 sources). In exploring this intersection, the paper demonstrates beneficial and adverse impacts of peer influence on sexual health, including misinformation about contraceptives and death from an informal sector abortion; highlighting findings from across the three cities around primacy of same-sex peer relations, mistrust between genders and in healthcare providers. The paper finds that while street youth remain subject to cultural norms around gender identities, street peer relationships hold a persuasive power; contributing to both everyday survival and moments of acute need. It concludes that recognising the right of young people to live and seek livelihoods in urban settings, and adopting the social networks they create to advance street youth's sexual health has become even more relevant in a (post)pandemic world.

Barriers and facilitators for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in refugee contexts globally: A scoping review.

BackgroundThe need to address sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in humanitarian settings is more urgent than ever, especially among young refugees. We conducted a scoping review to identify and synthesise the literature on perceived barriers and facilitators to SRHR among young refugees and interventions created to address their needs.MethodsWe searched three databases (PubMed, Global Health and POPLINE) for peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English between January 2008 and June 2018 that reported on SRHR barriers, facilitators and interventions for young refugees aged 10 to 24 years. We extracted data using standardised templates and assessed the quality of studies according to study design. Data were charted using qualitative content analysis and organised in line with a socio-ecological framework (individual, social and community, institutional and health system, and structural).FindingsWe screened 1,169 records and included 30 publications (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) across 22 countries; 15 were peer-reviewed articles and 15 were from the grey literature. Twenty-two publications reported on young people in refugee camps or alternatives to camps (e.g. sustainable settlements), and eight referred to young refugees who had been resettled to a third country. We identified 19 sub-categories for barriers and 14 for facilitators at the individual, social and community, institutional and health system, and structural levels. No publications discussed the SRHR challenges faced by young homosexual, bisexual, transgender or queer refugees, or those living with HIV. Nine publications described interventions, which tended to focus on the provision of SRHR services and information, and the training of peers, parents, religious leaders and/or service providers.ConclusionsFindings highlight that while young refugees experience similar barriers to SRHR as other young people, many of these barriers are exacerbated by the refugee context. The limited number of publications and evidence on interventions underlines the immediate need to invest in and evaluate SRHR interventions in refugee contexts.

Eu Falo, Tu Falas E Ninguém Ouve: conversas sobre sexo e sexualidade entre adolescentes e jovens no espaço escolar

O artigo tem por objetivo desenvolver uma análise do diálogo sobre sexo e sexualidade entre adolescentes e jovens e difundir o conhecimento sobre o assunto na sociedade, sob a luz da saúde pública e dos direitos humanos e sexuais dos jovens. Por esse ângulo, foram realizadas, transcritas e analisadas duas questões de entrevistas com adolescentes e jovens de uma escola estadual e técnica de Teresina-Piauí para compreender: o que conversam e falam sobre sexo com os amigos, com os pais e/ou com os professores e se consideram importante o diálogo sobre sexo e sexualidade. A metodologia utilizada foi uma pesquisa qualitativa, as informações foram coletadas por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e baseou-se em um estudo analítico interpretativo realizado no período de agosto a dezembro de 2019, em uma escola pública de ensino técnico, localizada em Teresina, capital do Piauí, região do Nordeste brasileiro. Esse artigo se concentrou em oito estudantes, sendo cinco alunas com idades entre 16 e 18 anos e três alunos com idades entre 17 e 18 anos. Os resultados apontam as dúvidas, os medos e os constrangimentos que os adolescentes e jovens atravessam no período de iniciação da vida sexual, fruto da construção social que é guiada por ideologias classistas, sexistas, homofóbicas, adultocêntricas e heteronormativas.

Virðing: Lykilþáttur í kynheilbrigði ungs fólks

Í íslenskum og erlendum samfélögum bendir margt til þess að vanvirðingar gæti gagnvart kynverund einstaklingsins og er MeToo-byltingin dæmi um viðbragð við þeim vanda. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að varpa ljósi á hugtökin virðingu og vanvirðingu í sambandi við kynheilbrigði ungs fólks og út frá rétti þess til kynheilbrigðis. Gerð var endurgreining á tveimur eigindlegum rannsóknum sem byggðust á viðtölum við unga menn. Einnig var byggt á MeToo-frásögnum af kynferðisofbeldi gagnvart unglingsstúlkum. Gögnin voru greind út frá virðingu og vanvirðingu. Niðurstöður sýna að sjálfsvirðing er ungum karlmönnum mikilvæg í jafningjahópum en einnig við kaup og notkun smokka. Þeim finnst mikilvægt að virða samþykki hins aðilans og telja virðingu vera einn af lykilþáttum góðs kynlífs. Vanvirðing ungra manna birtist í umræðu um ráðandi karlmennsku en einnig þegar samþykki fyrir samförum er hunsað. Lýsingar á nauðgun unglingsstúlkna sýna fram á mikla vanvirðingu gagnvart rétti þeirra til kynheilbrigðis. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að virðing sé mikilvæg fyrir vellíðan einstaklingsins sem kynveru og hið gagnstæða gildi um vanvirðingu. Fræða þarf ungt fólk um rétt þess til kynheilbrigðis og um einkennandi þætti heilbrigðs kynferðislegs sambands.

Implementation of the constitutional rights of young people in connection with the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Implementation of the constitutional rights of young people in connection with the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Youth advocates uphold young people's rights

Just for Kids Law's Advocacy Year programme sees graduates receive specialist training before working with young clients to draw up holistic packages of support

Effects of an Educational Intervention on Angolan Adolescents' Knowledge of Human Reproduction: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background and objectives: Sex education is a necessity and a right of young people in Angola. However, this education is deficient or even absent in various subsystems and, therefore, the impact of an educational intervention on human biology and sexuality was addressed. Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a non-equivalent control group, pre-test post-test design. It was conducted with students from three secondary schools (6th to 12th grade, two public and one private) in Huambo (Angola), between June and December 2017. First, a questionnaire was distributed to assess the students’ knowledge on aspects related to sexual maturation, psychological development, gynecological organs’ anatomy, human fertilization, contraception, and risks of unprotected sexuality. Then, an educational program was developed by the principal investigator along with the school’s moral and civic education and biology teachers selected for a group of students (experimental group, EG); the others constituted the control group (CG). Classes were held on non-working days, on Saturday mornings (8:00 to 10:00 a.m.), so as not to interfere with the school calendar. The initial questionnaire was redistributed two months later to assess the impact of the intervention. Results: Of the 589 individuals included (mean age of 16.8 ± 2.5 years), 56.7% were males. EG (n = 241) consisted of students from the public school and CG (n = 348) by students from public and private schools. The last part of the questionnaire consisted of 30 questions to assess students’ knowledge, and in 23 of these questions, both groups showed no differences at baseline. After the intervention, the EG showed significant improvements (p < 0.05), while the CG revealed only slight improvements. Conclusions: Students from Huambo province have a significant lack of knowledge on human biology and sexuality. Rigorous development and evaluation of interventions addressing multiple individual and environmental level factors is needed, notably for effective education in human biology and sexuality.

National memory as a weapon in the information war

National memory as a weapon in the information war

Co-producing and navigating consent in participatory research with young people

Purpose Research within the fields of youth sexuality and safeguarding, and ethical governance more broadly, has traditionally prioritised risk aversion over the rights of young people to participate in and shape research. This excludes younger people from setting agendas and directly communicating their lived experience to those in power. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes and draws upon findings from an innovative two year participatory action research study exploring sexual consent with young people through embedded and participatory research across seven sites. The project was designed with young people and practised non-traditional approaches to research consent. As well as co-producing research data, the findings highlight how methods of co-enquiry and being explicit about the research consent process enabled young people to develop competence that can be applied in other contexts. Findings The paper addresses ethical tensions between young people’s rights to participation and protection. It argues that alongside robust safeguarding procedures, there is equal need to develop robust participation and engagement strategies with an explicit focus on young people’s competence, agency and rights to participate regardless of the perceived sensitivity of the topic. Originality/value The paper concludes with proposals for future youth-centred research practice. These relate to research design, ethical governance processes around risk and sensitive topics, emphasis on working collaboratively with young people and practitioners, a greater focus on children and young people’s rights – including Gillick competence and fluid models of consent. In doing so, it presents an essential point of reference for those seeking to co-produce research with young people in the UK and beyond.

Young people’s health and risk behaviours in relation to their sexual orientation: A cross-sectional study of Thailand and Sweden

ObjectivesThis study examined the associations between sexual orientation of young people and their health and risk behaviours in Thailand and Sweden, and to explore similarities and differences between the countries. Study designA cross-sectional study using data from the Life and Health – Young surveys in Thailand and Sweden. Three different statistical analyses were used to examine the associations of the variables. ResultsIn total, 3869 students aged 16–18 years old were included: 1488 Thai students and 2381 Swedish students. Significantly more Thai (20%) than Swedish (9%) students identified themselves as bisexual, homosexual or unsure (p < .001). Bivariate analysis showed that, in Thailand, self-harm was more often reported by the homosexual, unsure, and bisexual groups than by the heterosexual group (p = .005). In Sweden, early sexual debut was more often reported by the unsure, bisexual, and homosexual groups than by the heterosexual group (p = .033). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that homosexual and unsure sexual orientations were significantly associated with self-harm (p < .05) among Thai students. Unsure sexual orientation was significantly associated with early sexual debut (p = .04) among Swedish students. Multiple correspondence analysis indicated that sexual orientation was associated with health and risk behaviours, and varied by different subcategories of students’ backgrounds such as country, sexual orientation, family structure and adult support. ConclusionsSexual minority young people reported more risk behaviours and poorer health than their heterosexual counterparts. The findings are useful for policy programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.

Interventions for promoting participation in shared decision-making for children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

Shared decision-making is important in child and adolescent healthcare because there is growing international recognition of children and young people's rights to be included in decisions that affect them. In order for young people to participate effectively in shared decision-making they need to develop the skills of engagement with healthcare professionals and confidence in interacting with them. They also need to learn how to manage their condition and treatments on their own when they move into adulthood. Children and young people who participate in shared decision-making in healthcare are likely to be more informed, feel more prepared, and experience less anxiety about the unknown. Significant improvements in cystic fibrosis (CF) survival over recent decades, due to improved therapies and better management of care, means that young people with CF are routinely transitioning to adult healthcare where increasing emphasis on self-management brings greater complexity in decision-making. We need to know what interventions are effective in promoting shared decision-making for young people with CF. To assess the effectiveness of interventions that promote participation in shared decision-making for children and adolescents (aged between four and 18 years) with CF. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearches of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of articles and reviews addressing shared decision-making.Date of most recent search: 12 March 2019.We searched PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Elsevier), PsycINFO (EBSCO), WHO ICTRP, ASSIA (ProQuest), ERIC (ProQuest), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We contacted study authors with published relevant research in shared decision-making for adults to ask if they were aware of any published or ongoing studies on the promotion of the intervention for children or adolescents (or both) with CF.Date of most recent search: 19 March 2019. We planned to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (but not cross-over RCTs) of interventions promoting shared decision-making for children and adolescents with CF aged between four and 18 years, such as information provision, booklets, two-way interaction, checking understanding (by the participant), preparation to participate in a healthcare decision, decision-aids, and training interventions or educational programs. We planned to include interventions aimed at children or adolescents (or both), parents or healthcare professionals or any combination of these groups provided that the focus was aimed at promoting shared decision-making for children and adolescents with CF. Two authors independently reviewed papers identified in the searches. No eligible RCTs were identified for inclusion in this systematic review. We were unable to identify RCTs with evidence which would support healthcare policy-making and practice related to implementation of shared decision-making for children and adolescents (aged between four and 18 years) with CF). We hope that having identified this gap in research, awareness will increase amongst researchers of the need to design high-quality shared decision-making interventions for young people with CF, perhaps adapted from existing models for adults, and to test these interventions and children's preferences in RCTs. It is also important to target health professionals with evidence-based education programmes on shared decision-making and a need for international consensus on addressing the variability in education programmes.

Prison health situation and health rights of young people incarcerated in sub-Saharan African prisons and detention centres: a scoping review of extant literature

BackgroundTreatment and special protection of the rights of incarcerated young people in prisons are mandated under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as well as under United Nations (UN) human rights instruments.MethodsA scoping review mapped what is currently known about prison conditions and health situation of detained and incarcerated young people in sub- Saharan African (SSA) prisons. A systematic search collected and reviewed all available and relevant published and grey literature. Following application of exclusion measures, 54 records remained, which represented 37 of the 49 SSA countries. These records were charted and thematically analysed.ResultsThe ages of children and adolescents held in SSA prisons ranged from 12 to 18 years. Three main themes were generated during the charting exercise; the prison environment for young people; availability and accessibility of basic necessities and navigating the prison system for health care and outside continuum of care.ConclusionsThe review highlights the grave and continuing deplorable situation of young people held in SSA prisons. The violation of international human rights norms is observed in the systemic abuse and detention of young people with adults. Basic needs are not met in relation to sanitation, ventilation, safe spaces, protection from physical and sexual violence, clothing, food and access to HIV and medical care.

Children’s Perceptions of Their Access to Rights in Wales: The Relevance of Gender and Age

This paper explores children’s perceptions of gender and age as factors in accessing their rights. While much is known about the policy agenda and legal rights of children in Wales (Williams 2013), there is limited evidence about the experiences of children themselves. This article uses the child-friendly, ten Extending Entitlements (The National Assembly for Wales, 2000) to measure children’s experiences of accessing their rights. Data presented was collected from an online quantitative survey (2,043 participants) and qualitative focus groups (180 participants) with young people aged 11 to 17. Findings suggest that a child’s age and gender are related to how much young people felt able to access their rights. A number of other key trends emerged: the lack of knowledge regarding rights of young people; the difficulty of accessing rights for older young people; and adults’ treatment of young people in propagating gender stereotypes. It could be suggested that if these equality issues exist in Wales, where the legal and policy framework is supportive of children’s rights, that in other nations where a rights based agenda has less political influence, that children’s experiences of rights will be further limited.

Juventude brasileira em pauta: analisando as conferências e o estatuto da juventude

(analytical): In view of the situation of social vulnerability and limited visibility of youth in the Brazilian social and political contexts and its norms and legislation, the objective of this article is to discuss the process of young people’s political participation. To achieve this, a documentary analysis was carried out of the proposals approved in National Youth Conferences as well as the content of the sessions related to the rights of young people contained in the Statute for Youth. As results, the authors identified that there are specific demands from young people (political participation) as well as more encompassing demands that involve all of society (security, education, mobility and health). However, there are historical claims for recognition that are a long way from being transformed into policies to enforce rights, such as proposals to combat the extermination of black youth and greater political participation for young people. Key words: Young people, public policies, political participation, statute of youth (VirtualLibrary Health in Psychology Thesaurus).

Migration and Adolescent Health

Migration and Adolescent Health