Deirdre Horgan

Children’s participation: moving from the performative to the social

The body of work on children’s participation has been valuable in asserting its importance. Nonetheless, participation is a contested concept and key challenges arise relating to its emphasis on age and voice, its focus on socialising the participative responsible citizen, and its failure to sufficiently recognise the range of participatory activities of children in their everyday lives. This article presents findings of a study on children’s experiences of participation in their homes, schools, and communities including the importance of the relational context, how everyday interactions rather than ‘performative’ formal structures for participation are valued by children and how their participation is limited by adult processes based on notions of competence and voice. It concludes with an argument for recognising and facilitating children’s informal and social participation as well as new forms of democratic processes being developed by children to address the possibility of governance and over-responsibilisation of children.

Child participatory research methods: Attempts to go ‘deeper’:

Along with the growth of child participatory research an increased focus on its complexity, specifically unaddressed power inequities in the research relationship and unreflexive use of methods, has developed. This article discusses a participatory research project with children in Ireland and reflects on attempts to achieve deeper participation through the use of children and youth advisory groups, mixed visual and discursive group methods. It argues that overly paternalistic frameworks adopted by ethical review bodies can hamper participatory research with children.

Advocacy and surveillance: primary schools teachers’ relationships with asylum-seeking mothers in Ireland

Abstract The article analyses the findings of a small-scale qualitative study in Ireland that examines interactions between asylum-seeking mothers and primary school teachers, and highlights the significance of teachers’ understandings of asylum in shaping home-school communications. Mothers and children in this study were living in Direct Provision, collective accommodation for asylum seekers in Ireland. The research identifies a number of concerns including: poor communication between the school and mothers, only English being used as a medium of communication with the mothers, and mothers being directly and indirectly excluded from Parent Associations. Interactions of teachers with asylum-seeker mothers demonstrated a lack of recognition that their situation is different from other migrants/newcomers and is particularly challenging because of the because of living in Direct Provision and under the threat of deportation. The research shows that primary schools are drawn into ambiguous relationships with asylum-seeking mothers in their attempts at advocacy and surveillance, as they are expected to facilitate integration, while at the same time dealing with the uncertainty facing asylum-seeking parents and children.

The social care needs of unaccompanied minors: the Irish experience

ABSTRACT This article examines forms of care which can be used by social workers to best respond to unaccompanied minors (UAMs) given their complex needs and particular vulnerability combined with their agency and resilience. The vulnerabilities and agency/resilience of UAMs are examined in the context of multiple borders (cultural, political and physical) being negotiated by these young people. While it focuses on Ireland as an example of a country where care provision for UAMs has improved considerably in recent years, it draws on both the Irish and international literatures. This article critically analyses the shift from hostel to foster care provision for UAMs in Ireland and explores benefits and difficulties associated with using foster care, while also discussing the use of alternative forms of care, such as residential care. We argue that social workers must always give consideration to a range of care options, to the needs of the individual child and to both their vulnerability and their resilience/agency. This is especially true given the diversity within the population of UAMs. Given the increasing numbers of refugees entering Europe and the mix of provision for UAMs across the continent, the Irish situation may represent a useful site for examination of their care.

Child Trafficking in Ireland

This chapter examines the position of internationally trafficked children as a particularly invisible group of minority and migrant children in Ireland. In this regard we aim to assess Irish child protection policies and their contribution to the protection of children and young people who are trafficked into Ireland. The chapter begins with a discussion on the evidence of child trafficking in Ireland and the difficulties associated with research and data in this area. Then, we critically review recent legislative and policy developments in light of exploratory research we are conducting with childcare practitioners, immigration officials and NGOs working in this area. Moosa-Mitha (2007) discusses trafficked children’s status as non-citizens as central to their experiences of injustice and exclusion in the destination country in which they reside. This seems to hold true in the Irish context where the European Commissioner for Human Rights (Hammarberg, 2008) has raised concerns about the inadequate measures of identification and poor level of care for separated children in Ireland placing these children at a high risk of being trafficked. We will explore evidence that these children experience differentiated rights based on their migration status in Ireland. Additionally, we will discuss children’s agency and voice. In recognising children as active agents and meaning makers we will argue that policy development should be grounded in children’s lived experiences. To conclude, we explore possibilities in the development of ‘the protective environment’ as a viable way forward in policy and practice, and one that minimises risk factors and maximises resilience among all actors.

Including the voices of children and young people in health policy development: An Irish perspective:

Objective: This paper presents findings of a qualitative study which explored children and young people’s understanding of health and the factors that contribute, or act as barriers, to healthy lifestyles. Views were elicited from consultations with children and young people as part of the process for the development of a National Obesity Policy in Ireland. Design: Child participatory methodology was used which prioritised the voice of the child in policy making. Methods: Two consultations were held – one with 48 children between the ages of 8 and 12 and the other with 34 young people aged 13–17 years. The consultations utilised qualitative participatory methodology which prioritised the voices of children and young people in policy making. A diverse range of methodological tools (e.g. ‘lifelines’, ‘body maps’, world café workshops) were used to collect data and optimise levels of participant engagement. Qualitative visual and written data produced during the consultations was then subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Children and young people’s constructions of health and healthy lifestyles are multifaceted. Participants in the consultation appeared well informed as to the general factors which contribute to healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. There were notable differences of emphasis related to age, with the older age group engaging more with issues relating to mental health and peer relationships, while younger children focused more on balanced diet and exercise. Conclusion: Findings from this consultation suggest that children’s constructions of health, and their understandings of the factors that impact health, are complex and often go beyond medical constructions of the meaning of health. The consultation informed the development of the new National Obesity Policy in a number of ways, including specific actions in relation to the development of a whole school healthy lifestyles programme, developing a health and well-being model for early childhood services, and providing clinical services specifically for children.

Children and Young People’s Participation in the Community in Ireland: Experiences and Issues

This paper presents the findings of research into children and young people’s experiences of participating in their communities in Ireland. Using a social and relational understanding of participation, the research found that children and young people are engaged in a wide range of activities in their communities. They are however often misunderstood in the community and have limited opportunities for participation in decisions affecting them. Despite these problems, they report positive experiences of participating in youth clubs and organisations, where their participation is supported by adults. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for research, public policy and community.