Study of Parental and Professional Beliefs Concerning Child Rights Legislation
TEN YEARS LATER: A FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF PARENTAL AND PROFESSIONAL BELIEFS CONCERNING CHILD RIGHTS LEGISLATION
Introduction: An earlier study by Gullo and Turben (1986) compared the beliefs of low and middle income parents and child development professionals concerning child rights legislation. A questionnaire, adapted from Kerckhoff and McKee (1984), assessed three groups’ receptivity to proposed legislation that would increase the protection and rights of children (see Table 1). Correlational analysis showed no significant relationships among the parents’ groups and professionals, who were preschool teachers. All groups were receptive to increasing children’s overall rights. The results of this study led to the successful inclusion of Head Start parents, as well as professionals, in participatory roles on policy-making committees in a large, urban mid-western city.
Ten years later, no significant national trend toward increasing the rights of children has occurred, and the lack of a national political and social policy regarding children has continued (Adelman, 1996). The incidence of child maltreatment and violent crimes directed at children in infancy, childhood and adolescence has risen dramatically
(CDF, 1995). Parental behavior on behalf of child rights legislation has changed; however, as parents have become more successful advocates for children, litigating and voicing concern to protect their children's rights to inclusive and least restrictive educational, health and community services.
Thus, the purpose of the present study was to again address child protection and advocacy beliefs among more diverse professionals and parents, in order to provide evidence to support the development of a self-study curriculum, directed at state legislators. The curriculum would provide strategies for strengthening laws that protect families and children.
Method: The subjects for the study were two groups of child development professionals, preschool (n=53) and early childhood special education (n=36) teachers, and a composite group of parents who represented both low and middle income levels (n=48).
The Kerckhoff and McKee (1984) Children and the Law Questionnaire was administered to two professional groups, who attended early childhood seminars held in the Spring of 1995. The parent group was selected at random from registration lists signed by Head Start and private preschool parents who attended sessions conducted in the Spring of 1995. They received the questionnaire by mail.
Preliminary results: Table 2 shows percentages of agreement and disagreement on 21 questions and the results of the correlational analysis, indicating three significant relationships among the groups. Further one-way analysis of variance and post hoc testing is underway to study group differences.
Discussion: In spite of agreement that child rights should be strengthened, the three groups surveyed seem to lack consensus about the role of legislation in the child protection process. Societal trends and family life styles seem to make generalities concerning the rights of children and their families problematic in this current study. However, this research may show that professionals and parents agree that parents should take responsibility for protecting their own children, and that the passage of laws is not a guarantee of child safety and well-being.
References:
Adelman, M.E. (1996). Children's defense budget report: State of America's children. Washington DC: CDF
Children's Defense Fund. (1995). Report on America's children. Washington DC: CDF
Gullo, D.F. & Turben, S.K. (1986). A study of preschool parents' and child development experts' views concerning child rights legislation. Early Child Development and Care, 24, 155-168.
