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The empowerment of children: who decides?
1Paediatric ICU, Killingbeck Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Insights
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Child Development
- Bioethics
Background:
- Significant health disparities exist for children, particularly those in poverty.
- Societal views of children as incapable decision-makers hinder their development.
- Existing legislation acknowledges children's 'voice' but may not prevent conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify internal and external factors impeding children's empowerment in healthcare decisions.
- To explore how recognizing children's decision-making capacity can be facilitated.
- To understand the implications of children's 'voice' when it conflicts with adult opinions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of societal views on childhood and decision-making.
- Review of relevant legislation, including the Children Act 1989.
- Exploration of ethical considerations in pediatric healthcare autonomy.
Main Results:
- Poverty significantly impacts children's health and life expectancy.
- The perception of children as 'immature adults' obstructs their rational development.
- Empowerment requires addressing systemic barriers and explicit recognition of children's rights.
Conclusions:
- Children's empowerment in healthcare choices is crucial for their development as rational individuals.
- Overcoming obstructive elements is vital to grant children the privilege of choice.
- Further examination is needed to reconcile children's autonomy with existing power structures.
Abstract:
While the health and well-being of children in general continues to improve, there remains a definitive health care divide. In the UK one-quarter of all children live in abject poverty, their lives shortened by the deleterious effects of poverty on life expectancy. Regardless of their background, children are united by common features of childhood, one being the concept of children as immature adults and, therefore, incapable of making important decisions. Such concepts are not conducive to the development of children as rational individuals with the ability to reason and make appropriate judgements. Thus, it is the aim of this paper to identify the internal and external forces which prevent the empowerment of children, more specifically the empowerment of children to make decisions about health care choices. The presumption is that the exposure of obstructive elements will reveal the vital components required to provide children with the privilege of choice. Although legislation such as the Children Act 1989 has sought to empower children by recognizing that the child has a 'voice', there remains the potential for conflict to arise when the child 'fails to conform' to popular opinion. Moreover, it is possible that without explicit empowerment, those in a position of assumed power will seek to overrule the child.