The perspective of childhood has changed, as children and adolescents (NNA) are no longer considered the property of adults, but are instead human beings with their own rights. Although this paradigm shift began to take hold more than 30 years ago, it has been a very slow process and we are still far from being a non-adult-centric society.
A clear example is what has become visible with the pandemic, where there are special permits for the elderly, people with disabilities and pets, but there is no permit for children and adolescents to recreate in the squares, or to play outside their homes. In fact, the playgrounds in the parks have remained closed and no solutions have been sought to these problems.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , 4,891,092 students at all levels in Chile have been affected by the suspension of in-person activities in educational institutions.
In addition, they represent a stress factor for parents and caregivers who are forced phone number in philippines to look for new care options or stop going to work. The confinement situation can also increase protection risks for children and adolescents due to situations of socioeconomic vulnerability, psychosocial distress or violence. However, the pandemic can also bring opportunities and challenges that facilitate the promotion and protection of rights, for example, by spending more time with family.
To foster a non-adult-centric society and promote compliance with the rights of children and adolescents, it is important to know these rights and then verify which strategies and activities can promote their compliance.
Below we list the rights of children and adolescents (NNA):
To identity and family.
To express oneself freely and access to information.
To protection against abuse and discrimination.
To education.
To a safe and healthy life.
Special attention should be given to those who are disabled.
Now that we know the rights of children and adolescents, interesting questions arise: Do we have sufficient strategies to cope with this health crisis while respecting the rights of children and young people?
The right to express oneself freely and access to information includes having one's own culture, language and religion. Requesting and disseminating the necessary information that promotes well-being and development as individuals. That their interests are the first thing to be taken into account in every issue that affects them, both at school and in hospitals, before judges, parliamentarians or other political authorities. Expressing themselves freely, being heard and having their opinion taken into account.
The right to a safe and healthy life includes having a dignified and full life, even more so if one has a physical or mental disability. Resting, playing and practising sports. Living in a healthy and clean environment and enjoying contact with nature. Actively participating in the cultural life of one's community, through music, painting, theatre, cinema or any other means of expression.
To be a good companion for children and young people during the pandemic, it is essential to know and delve into what this health crisis has been like for them, to listen to them and to observe how we relate to them in these conditions. Recognizing the current state will facilitate the search for strategies to know how to approach, as adults, the accompaniment of children and young people and how we can respond to their particular needs and characteristics.
To do this, it is important to ask them how they are, how they feel, and invite them to participate in daily conversations. A good way to generate these listening spaces is through artistic expression or through stories, videos, photographs, and drawings. Related to the above, various contests and initiatives have emerged that invite children and adolescents to send stories, tales, and quarantine stories, where they can express their feelings through fiction, creativity, and fantasy.
“We started to spend more time together as a family. For the first time, my father, who worked as a seasonal worker, spent more time with us at home. That makes me very happy because my family group is complete,” wrote Francisca, 10, in the Amanuta Publishing contest.
According to Francisca's account, the children and adolescents have received good treatment from their caregivers despite noticing the stress in adults due to the contingency. We must continue to encourage this, creating spaces for support, participation and maintaining good relations with people. If we are stressed, it is important to identify it and not reach the limit in situations that test our patience. It is important not to overdo it so as not to fall into rage. We must remember that children and adolescents are also going through a difficult time and are deprived of sharing with other individuals.