Introduction

In 2022, the database Child and Youth Participation – Academic Production in Latin America (2005-2022) became a part of the project Citizen Participation: Child and Youth Population in Focus. Coordinated by professor Irene Rizzini and with the support of FAPERJ (CNE – Process n. E-26/201.113/2022) the project aims to analyze different aspects related to participation and protagonism of children, adolescents and young people in Brazil, with a particular emphasis on already existing initiatives in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The database began to be developed in 2016 and its main topic refers to the center´s multiple research projects and in action activities. The database was made possible due to a partnership between CIESPI/PUC-Rio and the then named Ryerson University now known as Toronto Metropolitan University (Canada). Previous updates were carried out by the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP network) involving universities from four countries: Brazil (PUC-Rio/CIESPI), Canada (Toronto Metropolitan University and McGill University), Scotland (University of Edinburgh) and South Africa (University of Cape Town) within the scope of the project “Monitoring child participation processes in child protection policies and programs in Canada and internationally”. 

In 2018, the partnership gave rise to another project enabling the continuity and updating of the research initiated within the scope of the Institutional Program for Internationalization at PUC-Rio, through the Department of Social Service and with the support of CAPES (CAPES-PRINT- Public Notice n. 41/2017). At that time, the survey of academic production included articles in Portuguese and Spanish published between 2005 and 2015. Still under development, this project aims to deepen the research and expand its scope, involving other national and international partnerships, especially in Latin America. To learn more about the project, click here.

We would like to highlight that CIESPI/PUC-Rio's participation in the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership network (with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) remains an integral part of the project. In the current phase of the research, participants from various age groups including representatives of child and youth population are working together with the aim of understanding how intergenerational partnerships can contribute to transcending barriers to put into practice the rights of children, adolescents and young people. To learn more about the project, click here.

In 2023,  within the scope of the project “Citizen participation: child and youth population in focus” (with the support of FAPERJ) the bibliographic database receives its most recent update with an extended bibliographic survey up to and including 2022, contemplating the current Brazilian and Latin American academic production. The common link between the scholarly production is the systematization of concepts, definitions and theoretical-methodological contributions related to child and youth participation. We also carried out a broad review and improvement of the methodological parameters used throughout the research. To learn more about the project, click here. 

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Methodological considerations

The first stage of the survey was carried out between 2016 and 2018 and consisted of identifying scholarly production on the subject available online and published between 2005 and 2015 in Portuguese and Spanish. Different combinations of keywords were used such as: participation, protagonism, protection, monitoring and evaluation, combined with terms related to childhood, adolescence and youth. Searches were carried out using online tools notably Google Scholar, which allows access to content from databases in different countries. Searches were also carried out on Capes Journal Portal, Scielo, WorldCat and other search sites in different Latin American countries, such as Latindex, Clase and Redalyc. With the aim of complementing the bibliographical research, specialists from ChildWatch International network were consulted and new titles were added, enriching the database. After a preliminary analysis of the material, 86 publications on child and youth participation aligned with the criteria were catalogued.

In 2020, a new search was carried out to update the bibliographic survey based on the same methodology, this time focusing on academic articles and incorporating texts published between 2015 and 2019. At this stage, 42 articles in Portuguese and 62 in Spanish were selected and cataloged, totaling 104 articles. Thus, the database then had 190 publications. 

More recently, in 2023 and within the scope of the project Citizen participation: child and youth population in focus (with the support of FAPERJ), the database underwent its most recent update which included a broad review of its methodological parameters, perfected over the course of the research and the incorporation of articles published until 2022. We have decided to better define the age group and established that the texts incorporated into the database should discuss the participation of children and adolescents. Articles referring to youth are only incorporated if they dealt with young adolescents (between 15-17 years old) or if they also made reference to participation during childhood or adolescence. We consider that the forms of participation vary greatly according to the different stages of youth.

We emphasize that in Brazil the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA) considers a person to be a child up to 12 years of age and an adolescent to be between 12 and 18 years of age. The National Youth Policy considers young people those aged between 15 and 29 years old. This is an international standard that is often used in Brazil. This gives us young-teenagers (15 to 17), young (18-24) and young adults (25-29). It is important to highlight, however, that the age group of the academic production researched is not always clearly defined and the use of the terms such as children, adolescents and young people can go beyond the limits of the concepts and regulations that define them.

Currently, the database has 207 articles in Portuguese and 153 in Spanish, a total of 360 academic publications available for download. Aware of the limits imposed by an international survey such as unequal access to international publications, we conclude that this survey offers an in-depth and broad sample of what has been published on the subject of child and youth participation in Brazil and in other Latin American countries. 

Notes on academic production 

In Brazil, and in Latin America in general, the issue of child and youth participation has been gaining relevance in recent years, which is reflected in the number and in-depth studies and research available. 

In Brazil, most publications on the subject are from the Southeast region with a particular emphasis on the state of São Paulo. We noticed gaps in some states, especially in the Northern region. One of the reasons is because research carried out in the region are published in journals from other states. Thus, despite the unequal geographic distribution of universities and research centers, the survey managed to incorporate studies carried out in almost all regions of the national territory. Eventual gaps reflect the limitations of access to existing production given that not all published materials are available in the most consulted online indexing portals. The main topics addressed in Brazilian research are: participation and social protagonism of children and adolescents; children's participation and protagonism in the school context; children's political participation; right to participation; participation and protagonism of children and adolescents in research; citizen participation; adult centrism; promotion of child and youth participation; and bibliographic reviews/state of the art.

A prominent theme is that of child and adolescent participation and protagonism in school contexts. In general terms, studies on the subject address participation and protagonism in learning processes and pedagogical planning through projects. We also identified works that carry out analysis of educational policies aimed at participation and protagonism, democratic school management based on student unions and other decision-making tools and/or evaluation of school management. Government programs and projects, such as the Brazilian Youth Parliament, social movements, political actions and cyber activism also appear as topics of interest. However, there are still few studies that discuss the participation and role of children and adolescents in public policy discussion and deliberation spaces, possibly because experiences of this type are still scarce in the country.

Regarding publications in Spanish, Colombia and Chile stand out as countries with the highest number of publications on child and youth participation. We were unable to locate studies produced in some countries in the region, possibly due to limitations of the search tools used and the reduced investment in research in countries such as Haiti and Honduras. The major topics addressed in Latin American research are: bibliographic reviews/state of the art; conceptual debates on participation/protagonism; agency; adult-centrism; citizen participation; Convention on the Rights of the Child; right to participation; participation in the school context, legal proceedings and participation in different city settings; and use of information technologies.

Once again, articles on participation and protagonism in schools were highlighted, including the involvement of children and adolescents in movements such as the occupations of schools that took place in Brazil, Chile and Colombia. Authors such as Ortiz, Parodi and Lelli (2020) and Juárez (2020) argue that to promote this type of participation it is essential to build democratic spaces which consider the interests of children and adolescents. Pires and Branco (2007) and Oliveira (2018) in Brazil highlights the need to reconsider the adult-centric logic in educational institutions.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in November 1989 and ratified by Brazil in September 1990, is one of the main international references for the promotion, defense and guarantee of the rights of the child and of the adolescent, including the right to participation. Article 12 reads: “1. States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child. 2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law”.

In Brazil, the Statute of the Child and Adolescent of July 1990 reaffirms this right in Article 16 which provides “the right to freedom includes the following aspects: I – the right to come and go freely, to circulate freely in public and community spaces, with the exception of legal restrictions; II – the right to free opinion and expression; III – the right to free belief and religious worship; IV - the right to play, practice sports and have fun; V - the right to participate in family and community life without discrimination; VI - the right to participate in political life, as provided by law; VII - the right to seek refuge, help and guidance”.

Therefore, for more than three decades the importance of participation of children, adolescents and young people has been debated. But at the same time there are enormous barriers for this right to become effective (RIZZINI, 2018; ALMEIDA et al, 2023). In a recent survey developed by CIESPI/PUC-Rio in partnership with the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), Youth for Unity, Voluntary Action, Fields of View and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (India), it has been identified that there is little space for participation of children and youth in public policy discussion and deliberation spheres. In the Brazilian study, carried out jointly with young people from the Youth Forum South Fluminense in Action (FJSFA) from Volta Redonda/RJ, the young people manifested their desire to participate: “but, for that, we need to be informed and trained on different topics and have guaranteed access to public spaces, including the right to speak and vote” (COUTO; RIZZINI; BUSH, 2022). To learn more about the project “Shaping Youth Futures Livelihood Options in Creating Inclusive Cities”, access.

Still in the Brazilian context, even in the Municipal Council for the Rights of the Child and Adolescent (CMDCA-Rio), the State Council for the Defense of the Child and Adolescent (CEDCA-Rio) and at the National Council for the Rights of the Child and Adolescent (CONANDA), initiatives related to participation are still scarce. It should be mentioned however that since 2013, Resolution n. 159 of September 4 “provides for the process of participation of children and adolescents in discussion spaces related to the rights of children and adolescents in accordance with Strategic Objective 6.1 of Axis 3 of the Ten-Year Plan for the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents – PNDDCA”. CONANDA has been seeking to encourage the participation of children and adolescents on councils focused on children’s and youth rights.

We have listed arguments in favor of increasing the participation of children, adolescents and young people in public life in the country, starting with the importance of recognizing and universalizing political rights. Several researchers emphasize that opening spaces and encouraging participation and protagonism by children and adolescents are the foundations for developing an awareness of citizenship, essential for democracy and for life in society (PÉREZ, 2008; CUSSIANÓVICH, 2013; PAVELIC; SALINAS, 2014).

When children's participation is fostered, we have greater possibilities of strengthening democratic principles that have often been questioned in recent times due to lack of confidence in institutional political systems, in Brazil and other countries. By offering civic tools and political knowledge to younger people it is more likely that they will become responsible citizens who share democratic principles (CABALLERO, 2008; PEÑA-OCHOA; CHÁVEZ-IBARRA; VERGARA, 2014). In addition, offering options for participation and intervention can promote or deepen feelings of belonging. The young people acquire roles and social agendas by participating not only in socialization processes but also by being able to reinvent the process (PAVEZ, 2012). Another reason that strengthens the importance to increase the participation of children, adolescents and young people refers to their protection against contexts of vulnerability. As explained by Instituto Interamericano del Niño, la Niña y Jovens, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS), when there is greater participation there are more spaces for children, adolescents and young people to express themselves in an active and critical way in the face of situations and norms that cross or legitimize violation of their rights (IIN, 2010).

However, this debate remains in the realm of rhetoric in most countries, especially when we consider an effective or protagonist participation of children, adolescents and young people that goes beyond the current limits of participatory methodologies but also builds strategies for them to exercise their citizenship, perceive themselves as subjects of human rights and have decision-making power.

We argue that it is necessary to know the alternatives for participation and think of strategies to enhance actors that give visibility to the demands of children, adolescents and young people, encouraging the inclusion of their perspectives in the design of public policies and in the planning and monitoring of existing and/or neglected regulations for the protection and promotion of rights. These are important strategies for an effective culture of rights. 

Bibliographical References

ALMEIDA, Lucas et al. Affecting change in different contexts: children’s participation in social and public policy dialogues in Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. A New Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation: Conversations for Transformational Change. London: Palgrave, Macmillan, 2023.

BRASIL. PRESIDÊNCIA DA REPÚBLICA. Lei nº 8.069, de 13 de julho de 1990. Dispõe sobre o Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente e dá outras providências. Disponível em: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8069.htm

BRASIL. CONSELHO NACIONAL DOS DIREITOS DA CRIANÇA E DO ADOLESCENTE (CONANDA). Resolução nº 159, de 04 de setembro de 2013. Dispõe sobre o processo de participação de crianças e adolescentes nos espaços de discussão relacionados aos direitos de crianças e adolescentes em conformidade com Objetivo Estratégico 6.1 do Eixo 3 do Plano Decenal dos Direitos Humanos de Crianças e Adolescentes – PNDDCA. Disponível em: https://www.direitosdacrianca.gov.br/conanda/resolucoes/159-resolucao-159-de-04-de-setembro-de-2013/view

CABALLERO, Rafael. El derecho político a la participación y su relación con los derechos de la infancia. Tesis de maestría en Ciencias Políticas. México D.F.: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, 2008.

COUTO, Renata M. B., RIZZINI, Irene, BUSH, Malcolm. Jovens em Ação: reflexões sobre participação social e inserção no mundo do trabalho. Rio de Janeiro: CIESPI, 2022.

CUSSIÁNOVICH, Alejandro. Protagonismo, participación y ciudadanía como componente de la educación y ejercicio de los derechos de la infancia. In: Cussiánovich A. (Ed) Historia del pensamiento social sobre la infancia. Lima: Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, 2013.

INSTITUTO INTERAMERICANO DEL NIÑO, LA NIÑA Y ADOLESCENTES (IIN). La participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes en las Américas, 2010. Disponível em: http://www.iin.oea.org/pdf-iin/A- 20-anos-de-la-Convencion.pdf

JUÁREZ, Alejandro R. Adolescentes, formación ciudadana y participación una reflexión desde la escuela secundaria. Política y Cultura, n. 53, p. 131-153, 2020.

OLIVEIRA, Fabiana. A Criança e os Espaços Públicos: Reflexões acerca das implicações da participação infantil. Educação: Teoria e Prática, v. 28, n.57, jan- abril 2018.

ORGANIZAÇÃO DAS NAÇÕES UNIDAS (ONU). Convenção dos Direitos da Criança, 1989. Disponível em: https://www.unicef.org/brazil/convencao-sobre-os-direitos-da-crianca

ORTIZ, Victoria S. A.; PARODI, Martina M. N.; LELI, Mariana B. El derecho a la participación: su incidencia en el aprendizaje crítico en estudiantes de Escuela Secundaria. Anuario Digital de Investigación Educativa, n. 3, p. 78-91, 2020.

PAVELIC, Mónica R.; SALINAS, Sylvia C. Deconstruyendo la noción de infancia asociada a ciudadanía y participación. Revista Internacional de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales, 10(1): 91–105, 2014.

PAVEZ, Iskra. Sociología de la infancia: las niñas y los niños como actores sociales. Revista de Sociología, n.27, p. 81-102, 2013.

PEÑA-OCHOA, Monica; CHÁVEZ-IBARRA, Paulina; VERGARA, Ana. Los niños como agentes políticos. Sociedade e Cultura 17(2): 291–300, 2014.

PÉREZ, Beatriz C. et al. Cidadania e participação social: um estudo com crianças no Rio de Janeiro. Psicologia & Sociedade 20(2): 181-191, 2008.

PIRES, Sérgio F. S.; BRANCO, Ângela U. Protagonismo Infantil: co-construindo significados em meio às práticas sociais. Paidéia 17(38): 311-320, 2007.

RIZZINI, Irene. O direito à participação de crianças e adolescentes em espaços públicos. 56º Congresso Internacional de Americanistas (ALAS). Universidade de Salamanca, Espanha, 2018.

Research Team

Coordination and research: Irene Rizzini (Professor at the Social Service Department at PUC-Rio and CIESPI Director) 

Research: Renata Mena Brasil do Couto; Mônica Figueiredo; Caroline Araujo

Intern: Priscila Alves (Bolsista PIBIC/CNPQ/DSS)

Collaborators: Carolina Terra (design); Mariana Menezes Neumann (translation); Jana Tabak, Eduarda Sampaio and Thaís de Carvalho (research).