Advocating for children rights 1

Advocating for children's rights

Students Name

University/College
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The initiative intends to advocate for childrens rights. This will involve looking at

legislations that allow for the protection of children, and that they are protected from danger and

harm. It is essential to children receive essential resources during their development. Indeed, this

would involve protecting them from any harm. In this context, it will seek to reduce the rates of

bullying among children, and ensuring that the offenders face justice. Children are still growing,

and bullying can have disastrous consequences. Protecting them from any form of bullying is

essential. Children should be assertive to prevent bullying (Fraser & Matthews, 2007).

The initiative is essential in attaining childrens rights. Bullying behavior is linked to

prejudice based and actual or perceived differences such as homophobia, racism, disability, and

sexism. This can create real difficulties in a childs life besides other issues that they are facing.

(Tarrant, 2015) The initiative supports the translation of rights into practice. It encourages more

people to help and be aware of the human rights initiative.

The Ombudsman for Children office at the school is also a strategy to ensure the

effectiveness of the initiative. This encourages regular reports are made. They have a reserved

hotline number where people can call and report cases of child rights abuses for free. This has

been vital in improving the reports that occur. Moreover, the assured privacy of the callers has

made it an attractive channel. The office can also deal with legal proceedings in support of a

child. This would involve making reports about individuals who have abused the rights of

children. The office has dealt with a significant number of reports since its inception (Boylan &

Dalrymple, 2009). The changes made include legislation to ensure that they can apply to a

greater number of scenarios that comprise human right abuses, and it provides to ensure that the

perpetrators face the law. This has a long term effect of reducing child rights violations.
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The initiative has been effective in building capacity among duty-bearers to achieve their

obligations. The duty bearers include parents, services, families, and practitioners. In this regard,

the parents are aware when child rights violations occur. The issue of bullying in schools is quite

devastating for the child. In many cases, it is the parents who notice cases of bullying as they are

closer to the child. They would begin to notice the signs of bullying in their kids. They also make

reports to the school to report such cases. The duty bearers are also involved in teaching children

about bullying. This has a two-fold effect (Fraser & Matthews, 2007). It can lead to lower cases

of bullying as the potential perpetrators could be discouraged due to the legal consequences.

Moreover, more children become aware of what constitutes bullying and are willing to report

such occurrences in school.

The duty bearers are learning about different aspects of childrens rights. This involves

what constitutes a right. It might be the right to educate, and how to deal with this issues in any

context. The consequences have to be child sensitive and responsive in nature (Kanyal, 2014). A

large number of bullying cases involve children. Both parties are children, and it can be difficult

to discourage them from bullying others. The risk of a jail term can be effective in some cases,

but it could lead to developmental issues on the child.

The capacity of children has also been developed. More children are now aware of their

rights, and they can easily defend themselves when it is limited. They can claim their rights, and

this minimizes cases of rights limitations. The children also know what channels to use to report

rights violations. The effectiveness of the channels, such as the use of school counselor, has

encouraged many children to make reports. It also acts as s deterrence mechanism as those who

are bullying will be scared that they would be reported (Lansdown, 2005). Indeed, supporting

children to understand their rights will go a long way in minimizing cases of rights violations.
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The initiative directly encourages the right to development, survival, and life. It avoids

harming these rights and instead enhances them. Essentially, this initiative is directly related to

these aspects of childrens rights. It supports the right to life as it prevents further harm to

children. Many cases of bullying are a limitation to the right to life. It can easily lead to the death

of a child that can arise when bullying occurs in a life threatening situation. Such abuses also

limit the right to survival. Many children have been unable to go back to school if they

continuously face bullying. They also do not develop well due to the rights abuses during their

childhood. The child could become anti-social, and can even avoid any friends. Bullying affects

the child psychologically, and this would discourage the development of a child. Despite this, the

initiative has been effective in contributing positively. It exposes children to great harm, limiting

the right to survival (Liebel, 2012). Some of the children might not have the courage to report

cases of bullying if they are threatened. The initiative can only aggravate the situation if the child

is under threat not to report.

The initiative is discriminating on the rights of a particular group of children. These

comprise those who are bullying others. The initiative recommends tough legal consequences for

such individuals, and this exposes juveniles to the adult legal system. Essentially, it supports the

incarceration of children. This is quite discriminative as these individuals are still children. It can

be difficult to deal with such challenges, more so when the only alternative could be

disadvantageous to this group. Girls are also often excluded. Girls experience a higher level of

bullying in schools to comparison to boys (O'Neill, 2007). These can arise from a myriad of

issues such as their weight which could encourage bullying. This arises because many of them do

not report such occurrences, and the initiative does not provide an efficient way to deal with

bullying.
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Despite the consequences, the initiative has been effective in preventing discrimination.

Many children would not be inclined to bully others, especially when they understand and

experience the legal implications that can arise from bullies. Moreover, the initiative provides for

programs to discourage bullying. The bullies are expected to attend these programs. It allows

them to learn about bullying, and why they should not practice it. Bullying is an anti-social

behavior. In this context, it should be dealt with to ensure that the child develops to become a

valuable member for the rest of the society (Raymond, 2014). This is the same case for the

excluded groups such as out of school children, younger children, disadvantaged children and

BME children. They lack the necessary channels to make reports on cases of bullying.

Both the family and community stakeholder are involved in the process. This is essential

to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative. The family and community are expected to

participate in educational programs to improve their knowledge in detecting and dealing with a

case of child rights abuses. They also play a role in encouraging bullies to stop the habit and

support children who have been bullied. This is effective in the long term as cases f bullying will

continue to decrease. The parents are community also involved by encouraging the development

of channels where the children can report child rights abuses, and suggesting effective ways to

deal with the menace. However, some families and community members are not involved. This

arises from a lack of interest, especially among individuals who do not have children. Many of

them are not aware of how bullying can affect a child. Even though some of these adults might

have face bullying in school, they are not very inclined to support the cause. However, parents

and community members who have children have proven as effective and influential partners to

ensure the success of the initiative (Tarrant, 2015). They are at the frontline to ensure that the
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requirements of the initiative are met and that it is in accordance with the United Nations

Convention on Rights of Children requirements.

Children have meaningful and ethical ways to participate in the initiative. Their support is

based on whether they report cases of bullying. Since they are the ones who are faced with the

problem, reporting such incidences ensures that problematic areas are detected as a solution is

determined. This reduces the cases of bullying as those who carry out such practices are reported

for punishment. This is ethical as it will minimize the dangers and harm that bullied children

often face (Kraft & Furlong, 2015). Many bullied children have resorted to suicide, and the

initiative will stop such cases. Children should be aware that there are support mechanisms to

help them, and they should ask for assistance whenever they are bullied.

Value statement

In many cases, bullying is quite common in early years of a childs life. The childrens

rights are this that children should have to ensure that they live property in the society. The

childrens rights were established by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of children

(UNCRC). Based on the ratification, all individuals below the age of 1 years have specific rights.

This includes the right to an education, protection from violence, family life, health, and respect.

It is imperative that children have these rights and that they are protected by an institution. This

prevents people from limiting these rights. In this regard, children have a right to be free from

bullying. They should be protected at all costs to ensure that they develop well. Bullying can

have many effects on the child. It can affect their relationships, with others, and it can even limit

their interactions. These children will often avoid school, and their education will suffer (Boylan

& Dalrymple, 2009). This would lead to low graduation rates or poor performance among such

children. Indeed, protecting childrens rights will prevent such occurrences.

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I believe children should be more aware of their rights. Children as still developing, and

they should learn that these rights and there to protect themselves. In this regard, it would

minimize cases of bullying in school or scenarios that limit their rights to children. The children

can also develop to become upright members of the society. Once they are aware of their rights

as children, they will also support the same rights when they are adults, and would also ensure

that their rights as adults are not limited to any individual or the government.

Young children should be able knowledgeable and b aware of how to respond to a

bullying situation. They should be brave to stand up for themselves, and this would prevent

bullying. They should also be aware of standing up for other in a respective and non-aggressive

way. Moreover, all should be able to protect other children, and to prevent children rights

violations among themselves. This would ensure that bullies avoid such forms of aggression.

Moreover, children will be free to ask for assistance whenever they are bullied.

Even though there are many benefits of children being aware of their rights, some issues

can also arise. The awareness can infuriate a bully, escalating the situation. This would mean

children are bullied more often since the risks attached with bullying is more severe. Some

individual who are perennial bullies cannot avoid such a habit. They would continue to bully

children, and this will lead to additional risks. Some children know their rights, but they would

know how to put it into practice. For instance, children who are bullied could be sacred to make

reports of such occurrences. Some children could choose to be aggressive to protect their rights.

This can lead to additional harm. For instance, the child could choose to fight with a bullying as

a self-defense mechanism. However, this might not end well, and the child could be harmed.

Essentially, children should be aware of their rights, and they should learn of how to respond in

an appropriate manner.
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Reflective analysis

Bullying is a major issue that limits the rights of children worldwide. It is a common

occurrence in schools, and the initiative plan is an effective strategy to ensure these rights are

protected. Children should be aware not their rights. Education is key, and teachers play a major

role in implementing and assuring the effectiveness. Since these issues occur in schools, the first

strategy entails teaching the children about their rights, and how they can defend themselves.

This child will also defend other children who are being bullied in schools. This can prevent

further occurrences. Bullies will not feel free to bully others (Bardes, Shelley, & Schmidt, 2015).

Moreover, due to the consequences, many bullies will not feel inclined to harm others.

Children should be taught on how to express their assertiveness. This is especially

important for young children who do not know about rights. Many children are not aware that

bullying is wrong. Some would consider it as part of their daily lives, and they might not make

any reports if it occurs. In the long run, these children will be psychologically affected, while

others could continue to practice bullying without knowledge that it is wrong. They will continue

to suffer, and this only makes the situation worse.

The initiative is effective as it encourages teachers to inform children on the importance

of assertiveness. This starts with self-calming and relaxation strategies. Children should be

informed on the characteristics of bullying, and how it feels to be in such a situation. These can

include feelings such as embarrassment, angry, upset, among other negative emotions. It is also

essential to understand how they feel in such a situation. Children should be encouraged to be

calm when they are a situation that leads to negative feelings. This can go a good way in

preventing children from becoming bullies. Moreover, if the children stand up for themselves,

and this prevents further harm.

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In comparison to other social problems, bullying is quite different. It affects children, and

this is a unique population. These young children are still developing, and most of them are not

aware that they have any rights. For instance, even though conflict can be resolved through

compromise and negotiations, bullying cannot be addressed in a similar manner as it relies on a

power imbalance (Kanyal, 2014). One child is bigger and more threatening than another.

Resolving the situation requires that the problem be analyzed by duty-bearers. They should also

intervene to prevent a recurrence in future.

Even though the childrens rights are essential to deal with bullying, it discriminates on

groups of children. Girls are discriminated against as hey undergo more forms of bullying. Some

issues that girls face can include sexual abuse or assault among peers. It can be difficult for the

child to report this type of abuse. They could be scared to report due to the social embarrassment

that is often associated with this type of abuse. Some girls right not be aware that it is a form of

bullying. Other children who are excluded include those who are not in school. This is an

individual who is home schooled, or o does not attend school. For such children, they lack any

form of reporting mechanism that they can get support. Additionally, many of them are not

taught about childrens rights. These issues are often a derivative of non-governmental bodies,

parents, teachers and other stakeholders. It is an initiative that requires the input of all these

stakeholders. However, those that are out of school do not get this kind for support. For those

who are home schooled, they might not know what to do in case of rights violations. Moreover,

the parents might not be aware that it is occurring. This can be devastating to the child, and can

have long-term effects on their development. Such a young child will continue to suffer in

silence. This is the same case with poor children and younger children. The poor children often

lack an opportunity to attend school. Moreover, there has been an agreement that economic
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contexts determine bullying behavior. Among the poor children, bullying is at a higher level

while at home and school (O'Neill, 2007). Bullying is quite common among younger children.

The older child might bully the young child due to the age and size differences. The young child

might not be aware that they are being bullied or that it is wrong. They will not be ready to stand

up for themselves.

Improvements

Even though the initiative plan has been effective in advocating for children rights, some

issues need to be resolved. This entails dealing with aspects of the plan that discriminate against

certain groups such as girls and the poor. In this regard, the plan should consider other aspects of

bullying that disapprotionately affect girls than boys. They face more challenges such as being

bullied due to their weight and sexual abuse. In this regard, this would involve sex education that

would also inform girls about such occurrences. This can minimize sexual abuse cases among

young children, and that the reported cases are dealt with swiftly. The initiative plan should also

use the mass media to capture poor and out of school children (Boylan & Dalrymple, 2009). This

is through advertising efforts by teachers. This will guarantee that more children are aware of

their rights and that there is a way to get the assistance of they need any.

In conclusion, bullying can have negative effects on the child, especially of they are

young. These children might not be aware that they are being bullied. In this regard, many of

them would not report such occurrences. However, the initiative plan is a new strategy to make

sure that more young children are informed about their rights. This will encourage them to stand

for themselves and others, and prevent cases of bullying. Some issues do arise from the initiative

plan such as discriminating other stakeholders. However, the plan will prove beneficial as a

strategy to deal with cases of bullying among young children.

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References

Bardes, B. A., Shelley, M. C., & Schmidt, S. W. (2015). American Government and Politics

Today: Essentials 2015-2016 Edition. New York: Cengage Learning.

Boylan, J., & Dalrymple, J. (2009). Understanding Advocacy for Children and Young People.

Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Fraser, S., & Matthews, S. (2007). Critical Practitioner in Social Work and Health Care.

Retrieved from <http://uel.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=420903>

Kanyal, M. (2014). Children's rights 0-8: Promoting participation in education and care.

Harlow: Pearson Education.

Kraft, M., & Furlong, S. (2015). Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. New York:

SAGE Publications.

Lansdown, G. (2005). The Evolving Capacities of the Child. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti

Research Centre.

Liebel, M. (2012). Children's rights from below cross-cultural perspectives (Studies in childhood

and youth). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

O'Neill, K. (2007). Getting It Right for Children: A Practitioners' Guide to Child Rights

Programming (Eds) International Save the Children Alliance. London.

Raymond, T. (2014). Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens: First Grade Social Science Lesson.

New York: HomeSchool Brew Press.

Tarrant, S. (2015). Gender, sex, and politics: in the streets and between the sheets in the 21st

century. New York: Routledge.

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