Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Children’s Perspectives on Nurturance and Self-Determination Rights: Implications for Development and Well-Being

  • Reference work entry
Handbook of Child Well-Being

Abstract

Increased social and political awareness of children’s rights over the past three decades has led to the belief that young people are individuals worthy of fundamental human rights. Examining how children and adolescents themselves think about rights is important for a number of reasons, including developing appropriate policies and facilitating their legal and civic engagement. The current chapter provides a review of theory, research and literature on children’s thinking concerning their nurturance and self-determination rights. The chapter will begin by addressing how the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has provided an important framework for much of the current thinking about children’s nurturance and self-determination rights, including the importance of considering children’s own perspectives and views concerning their rights. We provide an overview of the major theoretical perspectives which have been used to examine children’s understanding of rights, followed by a review of the research, across a number of cultural contexts, that has investigated the development of children’s attitudes, reasoning and knowledge about nurturance and self-determination rights. Next we consider the literature on children’s perspectives on well-being and what young people’s conceptions of their rights may tell us about what they think about their own well-being. The chapter will conclude with a consideration of the implications of this literature and research on children’s rights for future research concerning young people’s well-being.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 3,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baumrind, D. (1978). Parental disciplinary patterns and social competence. Youth & Society, 9, 239–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Arieh, A. (2005). Where are the children? Children’s role in measuring and monitoring their well-being. Social Indicators Research, 74, 573–596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Arieh, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2008). Attitudes toward and understanding of children’s rights among middle school students in Jerusalem: The role of family values and patterns, nationality, and religion. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 78, 359–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Arieh, A., Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Haj-Yahia, M. M. (2006). Generational, ethnic, and national differences in attitudes toward the rights of children in Israel and Palestine. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 381–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borhnstedt, G. W., Freeman, H. E., & Smith, T. (1981). Adult perspectives on children’s autonomy. Public Opinion Quarterly, 45, 443–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw, J., Keung, A., Rees, G., & Goswami, H. (2011). Children’s subjective well-being: International comparative perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 548–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, L., & Rutland, A. (2008). An integrative approach to changing children’s intergroup attitudes. In S. R. Levy & M. Killen (Eds.), Intergroup attitudes and relations in childhood through adulthood (pp. 191–203). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casas, F., Saporiti, A., Gonzalez, M., Figuer, C., Rostan, D., Sadurni, M., Alsinet, C., Guso, M., Grignolin, D., Mancini, A., Ferrucci, F., & Rago, M. (2006). Children’s rights from the point of view of children, their parents and their teachers: A comparative study between Catalonia Spain and I1 Molise Italy. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 14, 1–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceobanu, A. N., & Escandell, X. (2010). Comparative analyses of public attitudes toward immigrants and immigration using multinational survey data: A review of theories and research. Annual Review of Sociology, 36, 309–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherney, I. (2010). Mothers’, fathers’ and their children’s perceptions and reasoning about nurturance and self-determination rights. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 18, 79–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherney, I., & Perry, N. (1996). Children’s attitudes toward their rights: An international perspective. In E. Verhellen (Ed.), Monitoring children’s rights (pp. 241–250). The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherney, I. D., & Shing, Y. L. (2008). Children’s nurturance and self-determination rights: A cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Social Issues, 64, 835–856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherney, I., Greteman, A. J., & Travers, B. G. (2008). A cross-cultural view of adults’ perceptions of children’s rights. Social Justice Research, 21, 432–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Citrin, J., & Sides, J. (2008). Immigration and the imagined community in Europe and the United States. Political Studies, 56, 33–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Covell, K., & Howe, R. B. (1995). Variations in support for children's rights among Canadian youth. International Journal of Children's Rights, 3, 189–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, D. M., Peterson-Badali, M., & Ruck, M. D. (2006). The relationship between maternal attitudes and young people’s attitudes toward children’s rights. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 193–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, D., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 25(2), 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Earls, F., & Carlson, M. (2002). Adolescents as collaborators: In search of well-being. In M. Tienda & W. J. Wilson (Eds.), Youth in cities: A cross-national perspective. New York: Cambridge University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elisha, I., & Ruck, M. D. (2012). Urban youth’s views of children’s nurturance and self-determination rights. An exploratory study. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 20(3), 422–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fattore, T., Mason, J., & Watson, E. (2007). Children’s conceptualisation(s) of their well-being. Social Indicators Research, 80, 5–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, M. (1998). The sociology of childhood and children’s rights. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 6, 433–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gieling, M., Thijs, J., & Verkuyten, M. (2010). Tolerance of practice by Muslim actors: An Integrative social-developmental perspective. Child Development, 81(5), 1384–1399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goswami, H. (2012). Social relationships and children’s subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 107, 575–588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwirayi, P., & Shumba, A. (2011). Children’s rights: How much do Zimbabwe urban secondary school pupils know? International Journal of Children’s Rights, 19, 195–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanafin, S. & Brooks, A. M. (2005). Report on the development of a national set of child well-being indicators in Ireland. Dublin: The National Children’s Office. Available at http://www.nco.ie

  • Hart, S., & Pavloic, Z. (1991). Children’s rights in education. An historical perspective. School Psychology Review, 20, 53–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S., Pavolic, Z., & Zeider, M. (2001). The ISPA cross-national children’s rights research project. School Psychology International, 22(2), 99–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S., & Zeider, M. (1993). Children's rights perspectives of youth and educators: Early findings of a cross national project. International Journal of Children's Rights, 1, 165–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. (2003). How’s life? Combining individual and national variables to explain subjective well-being. Economic Modelling, 20(2), 331–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. C. (1995). Adolescents’ and young adults’ conceptions of civil liberties: Freedom of speech and religion. Child Development, 66, 152–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. C. (1997). The role of agent and social context in judgments of freedom of speech and religion. Child Development, 68, 484–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. C. (1998). Children’s conceptions of fair government and freedom of speech. Child Development, 69, 518–531.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. (2006). The development of personal autonomy throughout cultures. Cognitive Development, 21, 458–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. C., & McNeil, J. (2011). The development of conceptions of personal autonomy, rights, and democracy and their relation to psychological well-being. In V. Chirkov, R. Ryan, & K. Sheldon (Eds.), Personal autonomy in cultural contexts: Global perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and people’s well-being (pp. 241–256). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helwig, C. C., Ruck, M. D., & Peterson-Badali, M. (in press). Rights, civil liberties, and democracy. In M. Killen, & J. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (2nd ed.). London: Taylor and Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendricks, H. (1997). Children, childhood and English society 1880–1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hood, S. (2007). Reporting on children’s well-being: The state of London’s children reports. Social Indicators Research, 80, 249–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppe-Graff, S., & Kim, H. (2005). Understanding rights and duties in different cultures and contexts: Observations from German and Korean adolescents. In N. J. Finkel & F. M. Moghaddam (Eds.), The psychology of rights and duties: Empirical contributions and normative commentaries (pp. 49–74). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • James, A., & Prout, A. (1990). Constructing and reconstructing childhood: Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. London: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Ben-Arieh, A. (2008). Adolescents approach toward children’s rights: Comparison among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim children in Jerusalem. Journal of Social Issues, 64, 881–902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khoury–Kassabri, M., & Ben–Arieh, A. (2009). School climate and children’s views of their rights: A multi-cultural perspective among Jewish and Arab adolscents. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 97–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khoury–Kassabri, M., Haj–Yahia, M., & Ben–Arieh, A. (2006). Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 1060–1073.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1981). Essays on moral development (The philosophy of moral development, Vol. 1). San Francisco: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahat, A., Helwig, C. C., Yang, S., Tan, D., & Liu, C. (2009). Mainland Chinese adolescents’ judgements and reasoning about self-determination and nurturance rights. Social Development, 18, 690–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Land, K. C., Lamb, V. L., & Mustillo, S. K. (2001). Child and youth well-being in the United States, 1975–1988: Some findings from a new index. Social Indicators Research, 56, 241–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lapsley, D. K. (2006). Moral stage theory. In M. Killen & J. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (pp. 37–66). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Limber, S. P., Kask, V., Heidmets, M., Kaufman, H., & Melton, G. B. (1999). Estonian children’s perceptions of rights: Implications for societies in transition. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 7, 365–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louw, A. (2007). Crime and perceptions after a decade of democracy. Social Indicators Research, 81, 235–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, M. A., & Cunninghame, C. (2000). Understanding the needs of young asylum-seekers. Archives of Diseases of Childhood, 83, 384–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynn, N., & Lea, S. (2003). ‘A phantom menace and the new apartheid’: The social construction of asylum-seekers in the United Kingdom. Discourse and Society, 14, 425–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolin, C. R. (1982). A survey of children’s views on their rights. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 11(2), 96–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayall, B. (2000). The sociology of childhood in relation to children’s rights. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 8, 243–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B. (1980). Children’s concepts of their rights. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 9, 186–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B. (1983). Child advocacy: Psychological issues and interventions. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B. (1991). Socialization in the global community: Respect for the dignity of children. American Psychologist, 46, 66–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B. (1996). The child’s right to a new family environment: Why children’s rights and family values are compatible. American Psychologist, 51, 1234–1238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, G. B., & Limber, S. P. (1992). What children’s rights mean to children: Children’s own views. In M. Freeman & P. Veerman (Eds.), The ideologies of children’s rights (pp. 167–187). Dordrecht: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaelson, J., Abdallah, S., Steuer, N., Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2009). National accounts of well-being: Bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet. London: New Economics Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • MORI. (2003). British views of immigration. London: MORI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrow, V. (1999). “We are people too”: Children’s and young people’s perspectives on children’s rights and decision-making in England. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 7, 149–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morton, T. L., & Dubanoski, R. A. (1980). Children’s rights: Attitudes and perceptions. Educational Researcher, 19, 24–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neff, K., & Helwig, C. C. (2002). A constructivist approach to understanding the development of reasoning about rights and authority within cultural contexts. Cognitive Development, 17, 1429–1450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nucci, L., Camino, C., & Sapiro, C. M. (1996). Social class effects on Northeastern Brazilian children’s conceptions of areas of personal choice and social regulation. Child Development, 67, 1223–1242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ochaita, E., & Espinosa, M. A. (1997). Children’s participation in family and school life: A psychological and developmental approach. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 5, 279–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., & Ruck, M. D. (2006). Adolescents' knowledge of children's rights. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., & Ruck, M. D. (2008). Studying children’s perspectives on self-determination and nurturance rights: Issues and challenges. Journal of Social Issues, 64, 749–770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., & Ruck, M. D. (2011). Rights knowledge, reasoning and attitudes. In R. J. R. Levesque (Ed.), Encylopedia of adolescence. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., Ruck, M. D., & Ridley, E. (2003). College students’ attitudes toward children’s nurturance and self-determination rights. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 730–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., Morine, S., Ruck, M. D., & Slonim, N. (2004). Predictors of maternal and child attitudes towards children’s nurturance and self-determination rights. Journal of Early Adolescence, 24, 159–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson-Badali, M., Ruck, M. D., & Bone, J. (2008). Rights conceptions of maltreated children living in state care. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 16(1), 99–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1932). The moral judgment of the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees, G., Bradshaw, J., Goswami, H., & Keung, A. (2010a). Understanding children’s well-being: A national survey of young people’s well-being. London: The Children’s Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees, G., Goswami, H., & Bradshaw, J. (2010b). Developing an index of children’s subjective well-being in England. London: The Children’s Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, C. M., & Wrightsman, L. S. (1978). Attitudes towards children’s rights: Nurturance or self-determination? Journal of Social Issues, 34, 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., & Horn, S. (2008). Charting the landscape of children’s rights. Journal of Social Issues, 64(2), 685–699.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., Abramovitch, R., & Keating, D. P. (1998a). Children’s and adolescents’ understanding of rights: Balancing nurturance and self-determination. Child Development, 69, 404–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., Keating, D. P., & Koegl, C. J. (1998b). Adolescents’ and children’s knowledge about rights: Some evidence for how young people view rights in their own lives. Journal of Adolescence, 21, 275–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., Peterson-Badali, M., & Day, D. (2002). The relationship between adolescents’ and parents’ understanding of children’s rights. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12, 373–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., Tenenbaum, H., & Sines, J. (2007). Brief report: British adolescents’ views about the rights of asylum-seeker children. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 687–693.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruck, M. D., Tenenbaum, H., & Willenberg, I. (2011). Mixed-race South African children’s and mothers’ judgments and reasoning about nurturance and self-determination rights. Social Development, 20(3), 517–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potential: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 719–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sides, J., & Citrin, J. (2008). European opinion about immigration: The role of identities, interests and immigration. British Journal of Political Science, 37, 477–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. G. (1983). Social-cognitive development: Domain distinctions and coordinations. Developmental Review, 3, 131–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. G. (2006). Social-cognitive domain theory: Consistencies and variations in children’s moral and social judgments. In M. Killen & J. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (pp. 119–154). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. B. (2002). Interpreting and supporting participation rights: Contributions from sociocultural theory. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 10, 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. B. (2007). Children and young people’s participation rights in education. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 15, 147–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • South African Institute of Race Relations. (2004). Fast facts, 11. Retrieved 6 Aug 2009, from http://www.sairr.org.za

  • Taylor, N., Smith, A. B., & Nairn, K. (2001). Rights important to young people: Secondary student and staff perspectives. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 9, 137–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tenenbaum, H. R., & Ruck, M. D. (2012). British adolescents' and young adults' understanding and reasoning about the religious and non-religious rights of Asylum-seeker youth. Child Development, 83, 1102–1115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Oswald, H., & Schulz, W. (2001). Citizenship and education in twenty-eight countries: Civic knowledge and engagement at age fourteen. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. (1983). The development of social knowledge: Morality and convention. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. (2002). The culture of morality: Social development, context, and conflict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations General Assembly. (1989). Adoption of a Convention on the rights of the child. New York: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verkuyten, M., & Slooter, L. (2007). Tolerance of Muslim beliefs and practices: Age related differences and context effects. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31, 467–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verkuyten, M., & Slooter, L. (2008). Muslim and non-Muslim adolescents’ reasoning about freedom of speech and minority rights. Child Development, 79, 514–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willenberg, I. A., & Savahl, S. (2004). Children’s perspectives on well-being. Unpublished report, Child and youth research and training programme, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • YouGov/Mail on Sunday. (2004). YouGov/mail on Sunday survey. London: YouGov.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zick, A., Pettigrew, T. F., & Wagner, U. (2008). Ethnic prejudice and discrimination in Europe. Journal of Social Issues, 64(2), 233–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Martin D. Ruck

  2. University of Toronto, 27 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Michele Peterson-Badali & Charles C. Helwig

Authors
  1. Martin D. Ruck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michele Peterson-Badali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Charles C. Helwig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin D. Ruck .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Asher Ben-Arieh

  2. Research Institute of Quality of Life, University of Girona, Girona, Spain

    Ferran Casas

  3. Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Ivar Frønes

  4. Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Jill E. Korbin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Ruck, M.D., Peterson-Badali, M., Helwig, C.C. (2014). Children’s Perspectives on Nurturance and Self-Determination Rights: Implications for Development and Well-Being. In: Ben-Arieh, A., Casas, F., Frønes, I., Korbin, J. (eds) Handbook of Child Well-Being. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_186

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_186

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-9062-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9063-8

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation