Module overview
The fact that children have human rights, i.e. children’s rights, and that these rights should underpin any decision, law and policy that is relevant to children, have been enshrined in international law instruments, like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and have committed national governments to protecting and upholding them. This module will examine the theoretical approaches to the study of children’s rights and child protection, the legal instruments regulating the international and national protection of child rights and the main national policies adopted to translate rights’ protection into concrete policy measures on the ground. The module will explore specific case studies where children’s rights were violated. We will examine the protection of child refugees and unaccompanied migrant children in Europe, the situation of unaccompanied minors in the US, the issue of child trafficking and its human rights implications for children, as well as the regulation of and controversies surrounding the international adoption of children.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Examine and criticise concrete cases of child rights breaches
- Critically examine the interplay between the international, national and local responsibilities for the protection of child rights
- Understand the main legal instruments protecting child rights
- Critically analyse cases of child rights violations and to propose solutions (policy, laws, capacity, funding etc).
- Analyse and apply various concepts linked to child rights to specific case studies
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Key legal and policy instruments underpinning the protection of children's rights
Syllabus
1.Children’s Human Rights: Theoretical Approaches
2.Children’s Human Rights: International Legal Framework
3.Child rights policies
4.What is Child Protection? Theoretical Underpinnings and Scope
5.Human Rights Responses to Child Protection Challenges
6.Child Labour: Dilemmas and Responses
7.Protecting child refugees in Europe
8.Unaccompanied migrant children in Europe
9.Unaccompanied migrant children in the US
10.Child trafficking and human rights
11.International adoptions
12.Conclusion
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
2 hours of lectures per week. All will be recorded and posted on Blackboard. Lectures will be delivered either face to face or online only depending upon University and Public Health England Guidance at the time. Total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hours per week X 12 weeks) per module.
Weekly student participation in online discussion boards. 1 hour per week delivered asynchronously. (1 hour X 12 weeks)
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 36 |
| Independent Study | 114 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
.. International conventions International legal documents Journal articles Book chapters Online materials (reports, policy papers)
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Research project | 50% |
| Research proposal | 25% |
| Discussion board activity | 25% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External