The subjective importance of children's participation rights: A discrimination perspective

This study examined how children appraise the importance of their participation rights-that is, the right to express their views and the right to be heard-and whether such appraisals vary as a function of perceived discrimination in the school environment. The sample comprised 1,006 children (9.6-14.3 years of age; 51% boys) from 14 public primary schools in Geneva, Switzerland. Results indicate that a majority of children considered their participation rights as very important. Children's appraisals of these rights varied marginally between classes and schools. Moreover, children's individual-level appraisals were sensitive to their perceptions of discrimination in the school environment, in that higher levels of perceived discrimination were associated with a greater subjective importance attached to participation rights. This suggests that appropriate measures must be taken to implement participation rights in such a manner that all children-including those who feel discriminated against-will be protected by, and fully able to enjoy, their participation rights. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).