Adults’ endorsement of children’s protection and participation rights and
likelihood of reporting abuse
Bourke, Ashling, Morris, Sonia and Maunsell, CatherineORCID: 0000-0001-7512-1403
(2020)
Adults’ endorsement of children’s protection and participation rights and
likelihood of reporting abuse.
International Journal of Children's Rights, 28
(2).
pp. 352-377.
ISSN 0927-5568
Children’s rights only serve their purpose in as far as they are recognised as rights by those
who can exercise them. This study examined a sample of Irish adults’ (predominantly
students; n=83) perceptions of children’s participation and protection rights across two age
groups of children (seven- and 14-year-olds). Participants completed the Perceptions of
Children’s Rights Questionnaires and likelihood of reporting child abuse online. A withingroups four-factor ANOVA examined differences between the perceptions participation and
protection rights across the two age categories. Participants endorsed protection rights more
than participation rights for both age groups and reported a higher endorsement of protection
rights and a lower endorsement of participation rights for seven-year-olds compared with 14-
year-olds. Participants were more likely to report the abuse of a seven-year-old compared
with a 14-year-old, and participants’ endorsement of protection rights significantly predicted
likelihood of re- porting abuse. These findings have implications for how children’s rights are
viewed in Irish society and how these rights may be enacted.