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Civil rights and freedoms
The digital environment provides unique opportunities for children to realize the right to access to information and freedom of expression. The digital environment can enable children to form their social, religious, cultural, ethnic, sexual and political identities and to participate in associated communities and in public spaces for deliberation, cultural exchange, social cohesion and diversity.
The fulfilment of these rights must be ensured and the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the digital environment must be respected. Privacy is vital to children’s agency, dignity and safety and for the exercise of their rights.
Children’s personal data are processed to offer educational, health and other benefits to them. Therefore, it must be ensured by legislative, administrative and other measures that children’s privacy is respected and protected by all organizations and in all environments that process their data.
By use of digital identification systems that enable all newborn children to have their birth registered and officially recognized by the national authorities, access to services, including health, education and welfare shall be facilitated.
Focus
27.09.24Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children visits Germany
Torsten Krause, SDC
From 14 to 25 October, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, will visit Germany to assess the current situation and progress in relation to preventing, combating and raising awareness of sexualised violence against children.
25.09.24Children's rights guidelines for DSA fulfilment
Torsten Krause, SDC
In implementing the Digital Services Act, the European Commission is preparing the development of guidelines in accordance with Art. 28(4). These guidelines are intended to support the providers of online platforms in implementing their obligations under Art. 28(1) DSA.
23.09.24Global Digital Compact: Protect children online
Torsten Krause, SDC
At the Summit for the Future, the United Nations adopted the Global Digital Compact as part of Our Common Agenda. The Digital Compact sets out the basic principles for shaping the digital environment.
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.
Scientific studies
Why Children Are Unsafe In Cyberspace
Boston Consulting Group
The study offers a global overview of children's and carers' perceptions of risks in the digital environment and provides advice on how these can be countered. The categorisation and evaluation of the results do not necessarily reflect the views of the project.
Speaking up for change Children’s and caregivers’ voices for safer online experiences
VOICE Project
In April 2024, ECPAT International, terre des hommes Netherlands and Eurochild together presented the VOICE study in Brussels. In the study, children and parents were asked about their views, opinions and experiences regarding children's safety online. You can find more information in our article here.
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.
JIM-Study 2021 - Youth, Information, Media
Baseline Study on media-behaviour of twelve to 19 year olds in Germany
JIM-Study 2021 - Youth, Information, Media
KIM-Study 2020 - Childhood, Internet, Media
Baseline Study on the media usage of six to 13 year olds in Germany
KIM-Study 2020 - Childhood, Internet, Media
MiniKIM-Study 2020 - Young children and media
Basic study on Media Use of 2 to 5-year-olds in Germany
MiniKIM-Study 2020 - Young children and media
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.
Kids Online Uruguay: key findings from the new study
Kids Online Uruguay seeks to offer a better understanding of how children access and use the internet, what skills they have, what risks and opportunities they face online, and how they navigate the digital ecosystem. The research involved a national survey with 948 children aged 9 to 17 and their parents; representative of locations of 5,000 or more inhabitants in Uruguay.
JIM-Study 2017 - Youth, Information, (Multi-) Media
Baseline Study on media-behaviour of twelve to 19 year olds in Germany
Sabine Feierabend (SWR Medienforschung), Theresa Plankenhorn (LFK), Thomas Rathgeb (LFK), Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (mpfs)
As part of the JIM study 2017, twelve to 19-year-olds in Germany were interviewed in addition to the general use of media and their media dealings with regard to homework, learning and school. Altogether, pupils between the ages of 12 and 19 years estimate that they spend an average of 97 minutes on a weekday with their homework (with and without computer / internet), while girls invest much more time with 115 minutes than boys (80 minutes). Almost half of their learning and homework time (45% and 44 minutes, respectively), the 12 to 19-year-old students work every day at home on the computer or on the internet for school. The digital homework time increases with the age of the young people from a good half hour for the twelve to 13-year-olds to a good hour for the full age students.
Children´s Rights in the German Business Activities
Deutsches Global Compact Netzwerk und Deutsches Komitee für UNICEF e. V.
The rights of children comprise much more areas than child labour in the supply chain, such as family friendly workplaces, product security or marketing. Within the first Germany-wide study on the topic “Children´s Rights in the German Business Activities” 485 companies have been contacted and 100 companies examined with a desktop study.
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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February 2017KIM-Study 2016 - Childhood, Internet, Media
Baseline Study on the media usage of six to 13 year olds in Germany
Sabine Feierabend (SWR Medienforschung), Theresa Plankenhorn (LFK), Thomas Rathgeb (LFK), Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (mpfs)
According to their own statements (assessments), 77 percent of all six to 13 year olds rarely use a desktop PC or laptop. The PC is used by all kids at home, and half sits in front of a PC when they are at a friend’s place. Yet, only two fifths use a PC in school. The probability of PC usage in school is significantly higher for older kids going to secondary school (Haupt-/Realschule: 53 %, Gymnasium: 56 %), than for kids going to primary school (27%).
Additional content for: Digital Games | Youth Protection | Digital Literacy | Media Usage | Social Media
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November 2016JIM-Study 2016 - Youth, Information, (Multi-) Media
Baseline Study on media-behaviour of twelve to 19 year olds in Germany
Sabine Feierabend (SWR Medienforschung), Theresa Plankenhorn (LFK), Thomas Rathgeb (LFK), Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (mpfs)
Within the JIM-Study in 2016, twelve to 19 year olds in Germany were interviewed about their media-behaviour, with regards to homework, learning and school. It also dealt with regulations regarding mobile phones and WLAN at school.
Additional content for: Cyberbullying | Digital Games | Digital Literacy | Media Usage | Social Media
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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 - Fact Sheet
The European Commission has developed a new strategy to protect children’s rights
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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Factsheet on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
European Commission, Europäische Kommission
The European Commission has worked out a fact sheet on the EU Data Protection Reform, which will take effect from 25 May 2018.
Additional content for: Age Threshold | Internet Policy | Youth Protection | Consumer Protection
continue reading- March 2016
Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021)
Council of Europe
Since launching the Programme "Building a Europe for and with children", in Monaco in 2006, the Council of Europe has implemented strategies over a series of policy cycles to guide its work on children’s rights.
- May 1996
European Social Charter (revised)
Covention No. 163; Strasbourg
Council of Europe, Europarat
The European Social Charter (revised) of 1996 embodies in one instrument all rights guaranteed by the Charter of 1961, its additional Protocol of 1988 (ETS No. 128) and adds new rights and amendments adopted by the Parties. It is gradually replacing the initial 1961 treaty.
