The Pulse of Sensitivity to Children's Rights: Looking at Our Own Organization

Being sensitive to children's rights is not only about knowing the rules, but about ensuring that this knowledge finds its place in every aspect of the organization. Therefore, when working with children, it is important to look beyond symbolic practices such as the "right to vote" and to see how they are involved in decision-making processes.

Where does my organization stand in terms of child participation and safety?

This article was prepared for us to seek answers together to the questions, “What are we doing regarding children’s rights, what are we good at, where do we need to improve?”

We hope that these questions, prepared under the headings of participation, safety, and protection, will guide you through your organization’s internal reflection and learning processes, and help you identify your strengths and aspects that need improvement in the application of children’s rights.

We would like to emphasize that these questions, created to support the proliferation of child rights-sensitive organizations, are not merely a checklist; they are also an invitation to learn, reflect, and grow... If you’re ready, let’s begin.

Where and to what extent does child participation exist?

Let’s start with questions for self-assessment focusing on children’s participation. These questions are designed to understand to what degree children participate in organizational processes, especially in decision-making.

1. Does our organization have practices of informing children, receiving their opinions, listening to them, and involving them in decision-making processes? If so, how?
2. Do we have safe and accessible spaces or tools where children can share their ideas?
3. Is child participation merely “symbolic,” or is it a structural process that influences decisions?
4. Do we provide feedback to participating children at the end of the process?
5. Does our organization use age- and developmentally-appropriate methods for child participation?
6. In our advocacy work, do we reflect children’s views, and if so, how?
7. Do we support child-led initiatives (such as youth groups)?
8. Do we collect children’s opinions when drafting policy or position documents (such as gender equality, child safety, child protection policy documents, etc.) for our organization?

Can we ensure children’s safety?

In this section, we continue with questions that will help us understand how and with which tools we ensure children's safety.

1. Does our organization have a child safety-focused policy document? Is it implemented?
2. Within the scope of our organization’s activities, are possible risky behaviors and rights violations that could endanger child safety through physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or neglect clearly defined?
3. Are all team members informed about “codes of conduct for child safety”?
4. Is it mandatory for those working with children (members, volunteers, staff) to receive child safety training?
5. Is there a pre-employment screening to assess the suitability of personnel working with children in terms of qualifications, merit, and job requirements before hiring?
6. How do consent processes work for sharing photos, videos, or personal data related to children?
7. What preparations and precautions do we take to ensure that children feel physically and emotionally safe while working with us or participating in events?
8. If a child says they do not feel safe, do they know what to do? Is it clear what actions should be taken within the organization?
9. Are the event venues owned by our institution or used through partnerships physically accessible and safe for children?
10. Do we have an agenda regarding the exploitation of child labor in our procurement of goods and services?
11. Has a person or unit responsible for implementing the child safety policy been designated?

Let’s remember: Child safety is not just about being prepared for emergencies; it is also the ability to prioritize the “best interests of the child” in every step of the organization.

How will we implement the child protection policy?

In the third section, we need to answer questions about protection.

But first, let’s look at the definition of child protection: Child protection is a rights-based approach that aims to protect children from physical, emotional, sexual, or economic violence, abuse, and neglect. It is the joint responsibility of the state, families, society, and organizations. The goal is to establish environments where children can be safe, supported, and fully realize their development.

1. Does our organization have a written child protection policy? Is the policy compatible with national legislation (Child Protection Law, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), etc.) and international standards (CRC, Lanzarote Convention, ILO conventions, etc.)? Are the forms of abuse that children may be exposed to clearly defined?
2. How are reporting obligations expressed?
3. Is the policy reviewed and updated regularly?
4. Has a responsible unit or person been assigned to implement the child protection policy?
5. When preparing or updating the child protection policy, are children’s opinions taken into account?
6. Are the notification and intervention mechanisms that will be activated in case of suspected child protection violations clear, accessible, and reliable?
7. Are there safe, confidentiality-based, and accessible complaint mechanisms for children to report violations they experience?
8. Are independent and transparent investigation processes implemented in cases of child protection violations?
9. Are child protection processes conducted in cooperation with public institutions (social services, law enforcement, judiciary) and other stakeholders?
10. Is appropriate feedback provided to children within child protection processes?
11. Does our organization regularly conduct risk assessments regarding child protection in activities involving children?
12. Do you have special arrangements for groups with special protection needs?
13. Is attention paid to the safety and privacy of children in activities carried out in digital environments?
14. Is the effectiveness of our child protection practices monitored and evaluated within the institution?
15. Are data relating to child protection violations (complaints, solutions, measures taken) regularly reported?
16. Can our organization be held accountable to stakeholders and the public for its responsibility in the field of child protection?

A civil space sensitive to children’s rights is possible

We believe that a civil society sensitive to children's rights is not the responsibility of a single institution, but is possible through our collective efforts. Therefore, we argue that responding to these questions under the headings of participation, safety, and protection not only reduces risks, but also means transforming the organizational culture so that children can exist in a safe, participatory, and equitable environment.

In the second part of this article series, we will discuss building a social sphere sensitive to children’s rights.