Step 3
Assess the various interests
In this step, you will weigh the children’s interests you identified in Step 1 against the other interests from Step 2. Keep in mind that the interests of children must take precedence over all other interests.
Compared to adults, children have more difficulty advocating for themselves. As a result, there is a real risk that their needs will be overlooked. To prevent this from happening, we must ensure that children’s interests come first. This means that children’s interests must carry more weight than others, rather than being seen as one consideration among many. Depending on the circumstances, other interests (such as those of parents, other groups of children, or financial considerations) may conflict with the interests of the children your proposal aims to serve. When this happens, you will need to weigh the conflicting interests carefully to determine whether a suitable compromise is possible. Make sure to explain your reasoning and provide extra justification for any parts of the proposal that go against the best interests of children.
As you weigh the various interests, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are children’s rights/interests adequately safeguarded in this proposal?
- If Step 1 revealed a potential negative consequence for children’s rights, can the proposal be modified to prevent this outcome?
- If not, how can you minimise harm and accommodate the right or rights that are under threat as much as possible?
Results of Step 3
In this step, you determined how your proposal can contribute to safeguarding children’s rights, as well as how to prioritise children’s rights in the proposal.