Children’s right to participate in youth justice research: opportunities and challenges in Irish youth justice

Abstract

The right of children to be heard in all matters affecting them is clearly set out under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and applies to children in contact with the justice system as well as to children in other contexts. In Ireland, the Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027 commits to treating children with ‘respect for their rights, in a way that strengthens their capacity for positive participation’, and further that the ‘development of policies, programmes and systems will be informed by the voices of children and young people’. Despite this emphasis on participation at policy level, it can remain challenging to ensure the participation of young people who are considered ‘hard to reach’, including those within the youth justice system. This chapter draws on the author’s experiences of conducting research with children in the Irish youth justice system. It highlights the importance of including the voices of children in youth justice research, drawing attention to how this can enhance our understanding of how children experience their rights within the justice system. This can contribute to shaping policy and practice that better responds to the needs of young people. The chapter also reflects on some of the practical challenges and barriers to conducting this type of research and considers some means for further enhancing research with children in this area.