Junior Jury: children’s rights
With child rights day approaching Children's Express asked young people their views on what rights are important to them.
| Children’s rights are more important than adults because adults can defend themselves. |
Nicole Grey, 10, Walker
Child rights means that children can't just be bossed about by older people. I don't think children's rights are heard and taken seriously. Parents let their children stay out late and so more things can happen to them with drugs and alcohol.
If I could bring out my own child right I would say that children should be in by the time it gets dark. This would be better because children would be happier and feel safer. I think that children should be heard in parliament. A teenager, someone who is eighteen could represent them.
Adult and child rights are both as important because they are the same, it's just their age that's the difference. I don't think children all over the world have the same rights because in some places women and children have got to be married by the time they are twelve.
Tammy Mcfarland, 10, Walker
Children should have rights like not getting bossed about by older people. If I could bring out my own child rights they would be to stay out late and not to get bossed about, young people would be able to spend more time with their friends.
Children's views should be heard in parliament and other children should represent them. Adult's rights are more important than children's are because they are safer. Parents decide on what rights children should have.
Amy Soanes, 9, Cowgate
I think children should have rights. Lots of different things are important to me like the right to have a better home. Children should be allowed to stay out more to get more exercise. I feel all children should have a better life. I think mums and dads should represent young people in parliament. Children's rights are more important than adults.
Abbey Carruthers, 9, Cowgate
A Child right means what children want and what children need. The government makes decisions on what children want. I would stop child abuse if I could bring out my own child rights. Children's rights are more important than adults because adults can defend themselves. In some countries children don't have schools.
Kris Archer, 14, Dunston & Brian Dafter, 14, Bensham
Making sure adults do not stereotype us is why we have child rights. Fairer pay in jobs for young people would be one of my own rights. I think the UK Youth Parliament should represent young people in government.
Children and adult rights are both as important although adults do decide on what rights children have. I don't think that children have the same rights all over the world because poverty makes for a worse quality of life. More facilities should be made available to children like skate parks. Young people have to be involved in decision making.
Sonia McAthey, 13, Cowgate
Child rights are something that you are entitled to. All children should have the right to have a life, the right to live somewhere and the right to have education. The right to have choice would be my own child right. Children's rights are more important than adults because they have a future ahead of them. I think the rights of children are different across the world because in some countries they get their rights taken away.
Laura Gurkin, 13 Fenham
Being able to have a voice is an important right for me. Adults don't always listen to children so I don't think that child rights are taken seriously. If I could bring out my own right for children it would be to allow them to go out till when ever they wanted. It would mean children would have a better social life. Adults are maturer than children so their rights are more important. I think that children's rights are different all over the world.
Zoe Marchant, 14, Cowgate
Child rights mean that a child gets to speak their own mind and put points forward. I think its important that children get the right to decide what is going on where they live and what they should and shouldn't be allowed to do.
If I could bring out my own child right it would be to be told what is happening at school because lots of kids don't get information passed to them. Children's views should be heard in parliament. I think that Tony Blair can represent children although parents decide on what rights children can have. I don't think that children have the same rights across the world. Places that are poor have fewer choices.
About the team
This article was edited by Dean Bransby, 13, with reporters Rebecca Patterson, 10 and Scott Rainey, 11. Junior Jury is a weekly column in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
