Table of Contents
Foreword v
Notes on Contributors vii
List of Abbreviations xiii
Preface xv
Abstracts of Chapters xxi
Chapter 1 Children's Rights Are Human Rights; Current Issues and Developments Theo van Boven 1
1 Introduction 1
2 From Dependence to Emancipation 2
3 Identity, Nationality, Name and Family Relations 4
4 Children Living in Particularly Difficult Conditions 5
5 An International Right of Petition for Children? 7
Chapter 2 Children's Rights and Universality Eva Brems 11
1 Inclusive Universality 11
1.1 From a Descriptive to a Normative Concept of Universality 12
1.2 Correcting Distortions 12
1.3 Flexibility and Transformation 13
2 International Children's Rights: Accommodating Children's Particularities to Promote the Universality of Human Rights 14
2.1 Changing the Image of Children 15
2.2 Four Types of Interests 15
2.3 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 16
2.3.1 Protectionism Prevails 17
2.3.2 Development rights 18
2.3.3 Autonomy rights 18
2.3.4 Trias Pedagogica 20
2.4 From Flexibility to Transformation? 21
3 The Universal Child? Accommodating Diversity Within International Children's Rights 23
3.1 Cultural Diversity 24
3.1.1 Expressions of cultural pluralism in the text of the CRC 26
3.1.2 Elastic language: the best interests of the child 29
3.2 Other Types of Diversity 32
3.2.1 Economic circumstances 32
3.2.2 Gender 35
4 Conclusion 37
Chapter 3 The Developmental Damage to Children as a Result of the Violation of their Rights Martine F. Delfos 39
1 Introduction 39
2 Pervasive Traumatic Experiences 40
3 Developmental Damage Caused by Sexual Abuse 43
4 A Case of Systematic and AccumulativeViolation of Rights 46
5 Mental Sexual Abuse in the Classroom: Sexual Brainwashing 49
6 The Anxiety Model: Externalising and Internalising Behavioural Problems 52
7 Trauma and Guilt 55
8 The Perspective of the Victim 56
9 The Voice of the Child in the System of Care 58
10 Conclusion 60
References 61
Chapter 4 The Children's Law of Nations: The International Rights of the Child in the Trias Pedagogica Jan C. M. Willems 65
1 Introduction 65
2 The Children's Law of Nations: A Child-Caregiver-Community Approach to Children's Rights 67
2.1 Concepts and Terms 67
2.2 The Children's Law of Nations Binds All States, Both Rich and Poor 68
2.3 Object and Purpose of the Children's Law of Nations 69
2.4 The Emancipation of the (Young) Child: Empowering Caregivers and Building Communities 72
2.5 State Obligations: A Universal Constitutional Perspective 75
3 The International Rights of the Child in the Trias Pedagogica: An Interpretative Framework 76
3.1 The Convention on the Rights of the Child as Temple of the Trias Pedagogica: its Foundation, Pillars and Roof 78
3.1.1 Foundation 79
3.1.2 Pillars: the three P's 79
3.1.3 Roof: the fundamental principle of 'the right of the child to become an optimal person' 82
3.1.4 Firm ground 84
3.2 Trias Versus Transism 84
3.2.1 Trias pedagogica 84
3.2.2 Transism 85
3.3 The Constitutionalisation of the Trias Pedagogica: A Proposed Provision 87
3.4 Plea for Provision (Provision-Prevention) and Participation as a New Legal Paradigm 88
3.4.1 Informing the public, informing parents, informing the child 88
3.4.2 What should we do? 89
3.4.3 From passing on trauma to passing on knowledge 90
4 Ten Programmatic Rights 93
5 Conclusion 95
References 98
Chapter 5 Children's Rights and the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect: The Quest for a Trias Pedagogica of Children, Parents and Society Jan C. M. Willems 107
1 Introduction 108
2 International Law and the Emancipation of the Child 112
3 Human Dignity: Respect and Self-Respect 114
4 Multiculturalism or Social Exclusion? 117
5 Parental Autonomy or Transism? 119
6 Women's Rights in the Best Interests of the Child 121
7 Developmental Damage: One out of Three Children 123
8 Preparation for Parenthood as a Human Right 126
9 Trias Pedagogica: Constitutionalization and Operationalization 129
10 The CRC: Building Blocks for a Constitutional Trias Pedagogica 132
11 Continuum of Care: Combined Universal, Selective and Indicated Prevention 136
12 Conclusion 138
Chapter 6 The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Orientation and Conceptualization of Children's Rights Jan C. M. Willems 143
1 Introduction 143
2 Orientation 148
3 Conceptualization 161
4 Conclusion 169
References 171
Appendices 173
Chapter 7 Children's Rights at a Dignitarian Horizon of Responsible Parenthood Jan C. M. Willems 187
1 Introduction 187
Part 1 A Helicopter View 188
2 Dignitarian Versus Libertarian Attitudes and Views 192
Part 2 Responsible Parenthood 197
3 The Best Interests of the Child 199
4 Parental Responsibilities and State Obligations 204
5 Conclusion 209
