Since the 1970’s there has been a shift from projects that focus ‘on’ children, through to projects that operate ‘with’ children in the 1990s, to the current focus on research and advocacy projects ‘by’ children. The following key findings are reiterated across several of the resources:
- Adults tend to be highly sceptical and suspicious of child -centred projects
- Power imbalances between adults and children and between groups of children, particularly relating to gender, must be addressed
- Cultural perceptions of the role of children impact on child-centred projects Good facilitation is critical
- Staff must be well-trained and have clear ethical guidelines, particularly relating to the handling of sensitive information
- Children in developing contexts often have heavy family workloads which limit their availability and capacity to be fully involved in projects
- It is difficult to ensure that the most vulnerable children are included
- Creative, fun methods are needed to ensure that children are keen to stay involved
