Adults frequently disregard and fail to acknowledge the feelings and achievements of youth in their routine existence.
Tough Talk: Kids, Teens, and Adolescents Deserve Respect
In today's world, we often forget that children, girls, and youngsters have the right to voice their opinions and be treated with dignity. While this is recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it's not always reflected in our everyday interactions. Instead, kids face condescension, invisibility, and sometimes even silence.
Pablo, a 14-year-old teenager, shares his frustration about being left out of important conversations due to his age. Together with Ariadna, another young activist, they highlight the disrespect and lack of understanding they encounter daily. According to NGO Educo, children and teens often feel ignored, disrespected, and misunderstood.
Treating kids with contempt can negatively affect their development, causing bullying-like experiences that may leave lasting scars.
Hidden Harms Against Childhood
Although physical abuse is evident, there are other, more subtle forms of violence that go unnoticed. Miriam Torán, Social Mobilization responsible for Educo, points out ridiculing or silencing children in a humiliating manner as common, yet normalized, behaviors that harm their well-being. In Educo's workshops, minors highlight these attitudes as causing them pain. When children feel unheard, their decision-making capacity is limited, directly impacting their self-esteem.
To protect childhood, it's essential to consider not just the obvious, but daily gestures and interactions as well. It's about empowering kids instead of diminishing their abilities.
Dismissed and Prejudged
Pablo complains about the lack of trust and the presumption he's incapable just because of his age. He believes this erodes self-esteem because it dampens the desire to try new things. Ariadna echoes his sentiments, yearning for her ideas to be valued rather than prejudged. They want adults to serve as role models for what they aspire to become.
The Right to Be Heard
Communication is another obstacle kids face. Reading complex language can be difficult, leading them to rely on social media for information. Pablo requests that adults simplify their language when addressing children. By respecting their right to know what affects them, adults can help children better understand the world around them.
Designing Safe Spaces
Children demand learning environments that are clean, abundant with natural light, and more connected to the outdoors. To create such spaces, they believe that kids should be involved in the design process. Time is also essential for childhood development, but adult agendas often threaten this vital aspect. What children need most, according to Educo, is a treatment based on trust, with adults supporting them without encroaching on their autonomy.
Facing the Facts: Treatment in Education
The survey conducted by Educo with 500 children aged 11-17 shows that one in three kids has heard unpleasant or uncomfortable adult comments. The number rises to 80% when including those who have heard such remarks about their peers and those who feel adults pick on them, even if jokingly. The survey reveals that almost 30% of kids struggle understanding the language of adults, with more than 16% having difficulty understanding politicians or media statements.
The 'Best Treatment' Campaign
The 'Best Treatment' campaign aims to promote a culture of respect and good treatment, extending beyond protection to recognition, trust, and accompaniment, especially in schools. Despite being the majority in educational settings, more than 60% of kids feel their capacity to resolve conflicts isn't trusted. To reinforce this culture, the campaign advocates for the proper implementation of the well-being coordinator position as proposed by the Organic Law for Integral Protection of Childhood and Adolescence (LOPIVI).
Upholding Children's Rights
It's crucial to tackle subtle violations of children's rights, such as emotional neglect, lack of respect, unhealthy communication, overexposure to screens, and inadequate spaces for growth and development. To create a respectful and welcoming atmosphere, adults should actively listen, validate children's emotions, encourage autonomy, communicate positively, engage in balanced activities, prioritize education, and seek support when needed.
Education, inclusion, and empathy are key in changing attitudes and ensuring children grow up feeling valued and capable.
In light of the 'Best Treatment' campaign's focus on promoting a culture of respect and good treatment in schools, it's concerning that one-third of children surveyed by Educo have heard uncomfortable comments from adults, with the number rising significantly when considering remarks about peers or feelings of being picked on. Children demand learning environments that value their opinion, involving them in the design process for spaces that are clean, well-lit, and connected to nature, as well as prioritizing education and encouraging autonomy without encroaching on it. To uphold children's rights beyond protection, adults should strive for active listening, validation of emotions, positive communication, balance in activities, prioritization of education, and seeking support when needed, fostering a respectful and welcoming atmosphere that nurtures education, inclusion, and empathy in children's self-development and lifestyle, avoiding subtle forms of conflict and disrespect that could negatively impact their future.
