Child Rights-08
Youth Rights
Who are youth?
YOUTH is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence. That’s why,
as a category, youth is more fluid than other fixed age-groups. Yet, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in
relation to education and employment, because ‘youth’ is often referred to a person between the ages of leaving compulsory
education, and finding their first job.
There is no universal agreement on who youth are. Some people say that youth is more a state of mind than a time of life, like
former United States Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who famously said, “This world demands the qualities of youth; not a
time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the
appetite for adventure over the life of ease.”
However, many government agencies, nonprofit programs and media outlets define youth as a distinct period of time in life and
name ages for when it begins and when it ends. In some instances, youth begins at 8 years old; in others, it starts at 16. The same
ambiguity exists when naming when youth ends, as some it is happens at 18, 21 or 25 years old.
Legal systems around the world skirt the issue by using terms like adolescent, juvenile and teenager to describe this age range.
Sometimes, this is to provide a distinct boundary for when people can begin voting or serving in a military; other times, it is to
allow a person to be executed or taken from their families. The age ranges of youth are generally defined in law to meet political
objectives, rather than for the genuine wellbeing of young people or society at large
• The period of your life when you
are young, or the state of being young
. ( Cambridge Dictionary)
• The time of life when a person is
young, especially the time before a
child becomes an adult. ( Oxford
Learner’s Dictionary)
• Someone's youth is the period of
their life during which they are a child,
before they are a fully matured child
(Collin’s Dictionary)
What does the United Nations mean by ‘youth’?
The United Nations, for statistical purposes, defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without
prejudice to other definitions by Member States.
The Secretary-General first referred to the current definition of youth in 1981 in his report to the General Assembly on
International Youth Year and endorsed it in ensuing reports . However, in both the reports, the Secretary-General also recognized
that, apart from that statistical definition, the meaning of the term ‘youth’ varies in different societies around the world.
When the General Assembly, by its resolution in 1995, adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and
beyond, it reiterated that the United Nations defined youth as the age cohort of 15-24. The General Assembly resolution in
2001, the Commission for Social Development resolution in 2007 and the General Assembly resolution in 2008 also reinforce the
same age-group for youth.
Definition of youth perhaps changes with circumstances, especially with the changes in demographic, financial, economic and
socio-cultural settings; however, the definition that uses 15- 24 age cohort as youth fairly serves its statistical purposes for
assessing the needs of the young people and providing guidelines for youth development.
What are youth Rights?
Youth rights are the specific things every person has between the youth ages, including opportunities, freedoms, rights and
responsibilities. They are distinct from the general human rights identified earlier because of the nature of the people addressed
being between the ages they are. They are different from children’s rights because they acknowledge the evolving capacities of
youth, as well as the evolving nature of the society we all share.
Traditional Youth Rights
For more than a century, some youth and some of their adult allies have been advocating for youth rights. These rights have
generally fallen into three categories.
1. Provision—Protect young peoples' access to particular things like food, clothes, shelter, education, etc.
2. Protection—Make sure that young people are safe from abuses, including physical, mental, and psychological abuse.
3. Participation—Give young people the opportunity to make, direct, evaluate and critique decisions that affect them throughout
society.
Following is a list of the traditional youth rights that people have granted youth before, or that have been advocated for across
the last hundred years.
Abuse-free living—All young people have the right to live free from all types of abuse, including emotional, physical and
pschological abuse. They should live free from economic, social, cultural, religious and personal exploitation. They have the right
to know peace and nonviolence throughout their lives.
Creativity—Without excuses, all young people have the freedom to creativity in speech, expression and action. This includes
physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional creativity which can be shared without harming another person’s wellbeing or
freedom to creavity.
Education—Whether through informal or formal avenues, all young people have the right to free and universal education. This
education should cover everything essential for democratic participation throughout society.
Employment—All youth everywhere should be free to choose work that fulfills their objectives as young people. Reasonable
limits focused on safety, health and wellbeing should be considered and taught to young people rather than mandated without
their consent. Youth also have the right to fair pay and benefits for their labor.
Food access—The right to healthy, sustainable and essential food is the right of all young people everywhere in order to ensure
their health and wellbeing.
Healthcare—The right to healthcare is essential for all youth. This includes mental, phsycal and spiritual health, and should not
be limited according to a young person’s income.
Recreation—All young people have the freedom to recreation, whether through informal or formal avenues. Time and physical
space should be guaranteed with both structured and unstructured opportunities to relax, have fun and socialize.
Shelter—Youth have the right to safe, secure and sustained shelter, whether with their family of origin or in other situations they
find suitable. Shelter should not be provided contingent on adult approval or through manipulation.
Youth rights—Youth do not leave their rights behind at the door to the schoolhouse. As such, in educational environments young
people have the distinct freedom and responsibility to exercise their rights, both as participants in democracy and as learners.
Movement—Young people have the right to movement and should not be restricted from it. This means they can walk, bicycle,
or otherwise transport themselves, and should not be restricted from accessing public transportation the same way as other
members of society.
Voting—Youth have a right to political representation in elected bodies, as well as the right to establish or relinquish laws
affecting them and the larger society they are members of. This happens through voting and political participation.
Nontraditional Youth Rights Issues
Age discrimination—Bias towards adults leads to discrimination against youth, which is called adultism. Adultism exists
throughout society, including places made for young people. Young people have the right to live without being discriminated
against because of their age.
Curfews—Youth have a right to live without arbitrary confines based on time. In the presence of curfews based on age, young
people cannot express themselves, take work, or fulfill their right to free movement whenever they want.
Behavior modification camps—In the absence of being able to choose what is best for their own health and wellbeing, youth
effectively loose all their rights. Behavior modification camps inherently discriminate against every part of a young person’s
identity.
Civic youth engagement—The right to vote, run for political office and campaign freely for themselves or other people belongs to
all young people. Being able to complete other civic activities is a right of youth too, including volunteering and participating in
community groups.
Criminalization—Portraying all young people as castaways to mainstream society, the media and police often make young people
into criminals by virtue of being young. Youth have the right to not be associated with crime, victims or punishment belonging to
people who do.
Drinking age—Young people have the right to learn responsible drinking through moderation and education instead of limitation
and separation.
Driving age—Without arbitrary age determining ability, young people should have the freedom to drive vehicles as they are
physically and mentally capable.
Economics—Youth have the freedom to earn money, save money and invest their time and energy how they choose. They
should have the right to use economic institutions at their own volition, and to be represented for the taxes they pay.
Education reform—The right to learn should not be sacrificed to adults who do not know how to engage young people as
partners in schools. Youths have the right to transform education as equal and meaningful partners throughout the education
system.
Emancipation—The right to become independent of their parents for legal purposes is important for the safety, wellbeing and
health of youth.
Entertainment—Access to entertainment and the creation of media for themselves and other people to consume is a right all
young people have. The ability to choose for themselves what they want to consume, what they want to produce and whether
they want to participate should be determined by their capacity to choose, rather than their age.
Juvenile Justice—Youth have the right to equal and fair treatment in the eyes of the law, whether through traditional trial by
peers or restorative justice. Punishment, retribution and other consequences should reflect their personal growth and abilities,
and not be generalized across all youth.
Media Representation—Being portrayed unfairly due to their age is not justice for anyone, and because of this all young people
have the right to be represented fairly in the media. They should not be typecast or stereotyped because of their age, race,
socio-economic status, educational level, or other perspective, either.
Nontraditional Youth Rights Issues
Age discrimination - Bias towards adults leads to discrimination against youth, which is called adultism. Adultism exists
throughout society, including places made for young people .Young people have the right to live without being discriminated
against because of their age.
Curfews - Youth have a right to live without arbitrary confines based on time. In the presence of curfews based on age, young
people cannot express themselves, take work, orful fill their right to free movement whenever they want.
Behavior modification camps - In the absence of being able to choose what is best for their own health and wellbeing, youth
effectively loose all their rights. Behavior modification camps inherently discriminate against every part of a young
person’s identity.
Civic youth engagement - The right to vote, run for political office and campaign freely for themselves or other people belongs to
all young people. Being able to complete other civic activities is a right of youth too, including volunteering and participating in
community groups.
Criminalization - Portraying all young people as castaways to mainstream society, the media and police often make young people
into criminals by virtue of being young. Youth have the right to not be associated with crime, victims or punishment belonging to
people who do.
Drinking age—Young people have the right to learn responsible drinking through moderation and education instead of limitation
and separation.
Driving age—Without arbitrary age determining ability, young people should have the freedom to drive vehicles as they are
physically and mentally capable.
Economics—Youth have the freedom to earn money, save money and invest their time and energy how they choose. They should
have the right to use economic institutions at their own volition, and to be represented for the taxes they pay.
Education reform—The right to learn should not be sacrificed to adults who do not know how to engage young people as
partners in schools. Youths have the right to transform education as equal and meaningful partners throughout the education
system.
Emancipation—The right to become independent of their parents for legal purposes is important for the safety, wellbeing and
health of youth.
Entertainment—Access to entertainment and the creation of media for themselves and other people to consume is a right all
young people have. The ability to choose for themselves what they want to consume, what they want to produce and whether
they want to participate should be determined by their capacity to choose, rather than their age.
Juvenile Justice—Youth have the right to equal and fair treatment in the eyes of the law, whether through traditional trial by
peers or restorative justice. Punishment, retribution and other consequences should reflect their personal growth and abilities,
and not be generalized across all youth.
Media Representation—Being portrayed unfairly due to their age is not justice for anyone, and because of this all young people
have the right to be represented fairly in the media. They should not be typecast or stereotyped because of their age, race, socio-
economic status, educational level, or other perspective, either.
History of Youth Rights
As early as the 1860s, young people began protesting for more rights around the world. Working hard and earning meager
wages, youth in Western nations demanded higher pay, fewer hours and access to more services. Later, as adults became allies in
youth rights struggles around the world, young people fought for universal education, health care and more.
In the 1930s, an organization called the American Youth Congress produced a Declaration of Rights of American Youth, which
they presented in front of the U.S. Congress. This was the first recorded effort by youth for youth to push a concise youth-
focused policy agenda on the federal level. While they succeeded through the creation of the federal National Youth
Administration, their efforts were ultimately dismissed because of the political affiliations of their membership.
During the 1950s and 60s, the Civil Rights Movement included a lot of brash leadership by young people. Claudette Colvin was 15
when she refused to give up her seat for a white woman, 9 months before Rosa Parks' famous launch of the modern movement.
The youths 9 at the Greensboro Sit-ins were 18 and 19 years old and in their first year of college. The Birmingham Campaign,
focused on challenging the cultural, political, economic, educational, and social discrimination blacks faced in that Alabama city,
was most successful when adult organizers actively engaged child protesters in calling for their rights. While these were youth
rights-specific campaigns, they were successful civil rights movements that continue to inspire young people today.
n the 1960s and 70s, a youth liberation movement emerged around the idea that young people of any age could and should have
the full and complete rights of all adults, and not just the limited ideas that were pushed around by well-meaning adults.
According to those youth rights activists, children and youth of all ages should be allowed to vote, work, drive, own property,
travel, have legal and financial responsibility, control their own learning, and have a guaranteed income. There were even more
far-out elements of this platform that called for all young people to be able to use drugs and have sex without restraint. Some of
these radical ideas were clearly differentiated from the youth rights movement, although some of the platform continues to
influence individuals and organizations today.
In the mid-1990s a youth rights movement emerged on the Internet calling for society to pay attention to several parts of this
platform. In other arenas, youth-led organizing has expanded towards completely youth-led campaigns in cities across the U.S.
and around the world. At the same time, work in the United Kingdom and across Europe led to particular expansions of youth
rights, including increased opportunities for civic engagement and voting rights being lowered in several nations.
In the mid-1990s a youth rights movement emerged on the Internet calling for society to pay attention to several parts of this
platform. In other arenas, youth-led organizing has expanded towards completely youth-led campaigns in cities across the U.S.
and around the world. At the same time, work in the United Kingdom and across Europe led to particular expansions of youth
rights, including increased opportunities for civic engagement and voting rights being lowered in several nations.
Its important to understand that there is no single agenda for youth rights everywhere, all of the time. Instead, the youth rights
movement is made of many, many agendas reflecting the diversity of young people around the world today. Following are some
of the youth rights issues being addressed today.
