Page 47 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 47
Convention on the Rights of the Child
and Adultism: How to Deconstruct a Myth?
Jelena Vranješević, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade
The image of the child in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) (1989) is represented by three “Ps”: protection, provision and
participation (Lansdown, 2005). According to the CRC, states are
obliged to protect children from all forms of discrimination and physical
or mental violence: injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, mal-
treatment or exploitation; economic exploitation or any work that may in-
terfere with their education or is harmful to their health or physical, men-
tal, spiritual, moral or social development; illicit use of narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances; all forms of exploitation that are harmful to any
aspect of their welfare such as the abduction, sale of or traffic of children
and all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. At the same time, having
in mind their vulnerability, the obligation of a state (adults) is to provide/
ensure children’s survival and development: adequate family accommo-
dation, health and social protection, adequate standard of living, com-
pulsory and free primary education and options for secondary schooling;
provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, rec-
reational and leisure activity; the right to a name, family identity and citi-
zenship, as well as legal and other assistance for defence purposes.
Protection and provision narratives are in harmony with the domi-
nant image of the child as sensitive and vulnerable, in need of being pro-
tected from various sources of endangerment; also, the child who should
be provided with all things necessary for survival and development. At
the core of the protective and provision rights is a paternalistic attitude,
i.e. the belief that in order for children to stay protected and support-
ed they must be controlled and their choices limited. According to the
https://doi.org/10.32320/1581-6044.31(3-4)45-61 45
Original scientific article
and Adultism: How to Deconstruct a Myth?
Jelena Vranješević, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade
The image of the child in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) (1989) is represented by three “Ps”: protection, provision and
participation (Lansdown, 2005). According to the CRC, states are
obliged to protect children from all forms of discrimination and physical
or mental violence: injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, mal-
treatment or exploitation; economic exploitation or any work that may in-
terfere with their education or is harmful to their health or physical, men-
tal, spiritual, moral or social development; illicit use of narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances; all forms of exploitation that are harmful to any
aspect of their welfare such as the abduction, sale of or traffic of children
and all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. At the same time, having
in mind their vulnerability, the obligation of a state (adults) is to provide/
ensure children’s survival and development: adequate family accommo-
dation, health and social protection, adequate standard of living, com-
pulsory and free primary education and options for secondary schooling;
provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, rec-
reational and leisure activity; the right to a name, family identity and citi-
zenship, as well as legal and other assistance for defence purposes.
Protection and provision narratives are in harmony with the domi-
nant image of the child as sensitive and vulnerable, in need of being pro-
tected from various sources of endangerment; also, the child who should
be provided with all things necessary for survival and development. At
the core of the protective and provision rights is a paternalistic attitude,
i.e. the belief that in order for children to stay protected and support-
ed they must be controlled and their choices limited. According to the
https://doi.org/10.32320/1581-6044.31(3-4)45-61 45
Original scientific article
