Source: Children and Youth Services Review 2016
Policymaking is one of the most challenging arenas in which children's participation rights are implemented. The goal of this study is to portray patterns of children's participation in public policymaking and characterize various adults' reactions to children's participation. The study draws on 116 protocols of committees operating in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) and interviews with an advisory group of children and young people who had participated on the committees.
The findings show the potential of children's participation in national policymaking to mobilize policy change and to contextualize policy discussions. They also demonstrate that children's comments in policy discussions may evoke extreme responses, expressed as either fawning or dismissing. The conclusions offer practices that may assist in preparing both the participating children and the policymakers and in diversifying the children's voices.
The study may be of interest to scholars who explore children‟s participation in municipal or national policymaking or in youth - led organizations. In particular, it contributes to the scant literature exploring face - to - face children's participation in public decision - making. In addition, the study offers important insights to practitioners who specialize in children‟s participation, which may assist in shaping effective practices.