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Evolving capacities
The evolving capacities of the child as an enabling principle that addresses the process of their gradual acquisition of competencies, understanding and agency must be respected.
That process has particular significance in the digital environment, where children can engage more independently from supervision by parents and caregivers.
The risks and opportunities associated with children’s engagement in the digital environment change depending on their age and stage of development.
This must be taken in considerations whenever measures to protect children in, or facilitate their access to, that environment are designed. The design of age-appropriate measures should be informed by the best and most up-to-date research available, from a range of disciplines.
Focus
12.09.24Ensuring children's rights in the metaverse through proactive digital policy
Jutta Croll & Torsten Krause, SDC
As part of the 15th Internet Governance Forum Germany, the project ‘Child protection and children's rights in the digital world’ held a workshop on the topic of children's rights in the metaverse on 11 September.
24.06.24Shaping and regulating the metaverse in accordance with children's rights
Torsten Krause, SDC
The European Commission is continuing to prepare the market environment for virtual worlds and artificial intelligence.
28.05.24"Babyphotos klick well"
Torsten Krause, SDC
Under the heading ‘Online advertising - between opportunities, law and responsibility’, the 24th edition of the watchdog format of the state media authorities in mid-May also dealt with family influencing and the question of how digital content with children should be realised or better refrained from.
Scientific studies
4. BIK Policy Map
The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Map was created to compare and exchange knowledge on policy making and implementation in EU Member States on the themes and recommendations of the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children. The fourth report of the series was released in May 2023.
Exploring effective prevention education responses to dangerous online challenges
This report on dangerous challenges was authored by Dr Zoe Hilton (Praesidio Safeguarding) with contributions from Professor Gretchen Brion-Meisels and Dr Richard Graham.
The report has been written in consultation with an expert steering group and we would like to thank them for their expert advice and input into this report: Ximena Díaz Alarcón, Professor Amanda Third, Fabiana Vasconcelos, Jutta Croll, Dr. Maura Manca, Anne Collier, Diena Haryana, Karl Hopwood, Stephen Balkam, Linh Phuong Nguyen, Daniela Calvillo Angulo, and Dr. Najla Alnaqbi.
Looking forward: Technological and social change in the lives of European children and young people
Report for the ICT Coalition for Children Online
Blum-Ross, A., Donoso, V., Dinh, T., Mascheroni, G., O’Neill, B., Riesmeyer, C., and Stoilova, M. (2018)., ICT Coalition
The Members of the ICT Coalition for Children Online have recently commissioned a new report on how relationships between technology and the cultural and social practices and institutions that affect children and young people will likely evolve.
August 2018Young Children (0-8) and Digital Technology
A qualitative study across Europe
Stephane Chaudron, Rosanna Di Gioia, Monica Gemo, EU Science Hub - The European Commission's science and knowledge service
The document reports on results of a cross-national analysis building on data coming from 234 family interviews with both children and parents, carried out from September 2014 until April 2017 in 21 countries.
Additional content for: Digital Parenting | Media Education | Digital Literacy | Media Usage | Privacy | Social Media
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FIM-Study 2016 - Family, Interaction, Media
Study on communication and media use in families
Sabine Feierabend (SWR Medienforschung), Theresa Plankenhorn (LFK), Thomas Rathgeb (LFK)
The FIM study provides insights into communication and media use in families in Germany. Contents and forms of intra-family communication, communicative patterns of behaviour within the family and media use in the family context are the main focus of this study. Five years after the first FIM study, the FIM study 2016 provides insights into the everyday media life of families with smartphones and mobile Internet. For the FIM Study 2016, all members of around 300 families with children between the age of 3 and 19 were interviewed personally.
Additional content for: Digital Games | Digital Literacy | Media Usage | Social Media
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May 2017Children´s and young people´s rights in the digital age
a series of articles in the SAGE journal; Vol 19, Issue 5, 2017
SAGE Journal, SAGE Journal
In Vol 19, Issue 5, 2017 of the SAGE Journal in the New Media & Society category, there are a number of contributions to children's rights in the digital age.
Additional content for: Accessibility | Digital Parenting | Vulnerable Children | Internet Governance | Internet Policy | Youth Protection | Media Education | Media Usage | Privacy | Sexting | Social Media | UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
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Official documents
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC)
General Assembly of the United Nations, Vereinte Nationen
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC) is the most important human rights instrument for children. It was passed on November 20th, 1989, by the General Assembly of the United Nations. It is the most ratified UN-Convention - every member state has signed it, except for the United States. The Federal Republic of Germany signed it on January 26th, 1990, and it came into effect on April 5th, 1992. The rights of children were written down in 54 articles, and oblige the state to their implementation, that is, to respect, protect and fulfill them.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC) - full text
UN-Committee on the Rights of the Child, Vereinte Nationen
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49
Revision of the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child (2017)
The guidelines recall international standards on the rights of the child and provide comprehensive guidance as well as concrete ways to promote effectively and protect the rights of the child.
African Youth Charter
The African Youth Charter provides a framework for youth empowerment and development activities at the continental, regional and national levels across Africa.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is an important tool for advancing children’s rights. While building on the same basic principles as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the ACRWC highlights issues of special importance in the African context.
EU Strategy on the Right’s of the Child
The European Commission has developed a new strategy to protect children’s rights.
General Comment No. 25 (2021) on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has published a General Comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment.
Explanatory Notes on the General Comment No. 25 (2021) on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment
Explanatory Notes on the General Comment No. 25 (2021) on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment.
General comment draft on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment
by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is currently drafting a general comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment. The draft of the general comment can be found here.
Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment
Council of Europe, Europarat
The guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment were adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 4 July 2018. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist states and other relevant stakeholders in their efforts to adopt a comprehensive, strategic approach in building and containing the often complex world of the digital environment.
Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers on the rights of the child in the digital environment
Council of Europe, Europarat
How to better respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment is at the core of the new Recommendation adopted today by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Building on international and European legal instruments, the text provides comprehensive guidelines for action by European governments. The digital environment shapes children’s lives in many ways, creating opportunities and risks to their well-being and enjoyment of human rights. Governments are recommended to review their legislation, policies and practices to ensure that these adequately address the full range of the rights of the child. States should also ensure that business enterprises and other key partners meet their human rights responsibilities and are held accountable in case of abuses.
Additional content for: Internet Governance | Internet Policy | UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
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