Vulnerability
The vulnerability of a child refers to
the limited chances of the child to fully exercise their rights as afforded
under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. From a rights-based
perspective, vulnerability depends on the number and severity of infringements
or violations that a child is or may be exposed to (the risk) as well as the child’s resilience. Risk and resilience are understood according to an
ecological model. They interact at multiple levels and are accumulating:
personal risk and resilience are closely intertwined with risk and resilience
deriving from relationships, socio-political systems and the environment. The
child’s vulnerability can be caused or increased where the public
administration and service providers have a reduced capability to implement
child rights standards and where they do not succeed in safeguarding the human
rights of the child in practice. This is understood as structural
vulnerability. Structural vulnerability is related to state structures, action
or inaction, and can result in the violation of the rights of the child.[1]
Under EU law, the concept of
vulnerability is not defined but persons who are considered vulnerable are
recognised to have special needs or are entitled to special protection
measures.[2]
See
also:
Level 6: Case assessment
References:
EU training and learning platform for guardians of
unaccompanied children
Chapter 1, Session
1.2. Understanding vulnerability
Literature:
Defence for
Children International – Italy, Family and Childcare Centre
Greece (2014), IMPACT, Improving
monitoring and protection systems against child trafficking and exploitation,
Transnational analysis, Family and Childcare Centre Greece and
Defence for Children International – Italy.
Family and
Childcare Centre, Defence for Children International – Italy (2015), Resiland
, Orientations
for professionals and officials working with and for children on the move, Athens.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (2022), What is child vulnerability and how can it be overcome?
, OECD
iLibrary.
United Nations (UN), Committee on the Rights of
the Child (2005), General Comment No. 6 (2005),
Treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of
origin, CRC/GC/2005, 1 September 2005.
[1] Adapted from the definition of vulnerability presented
in: Wenke, D. (2011), Vulnerable children
in Switzerland, Safeguarding the rights of every child, A discussion of a
systemic approach to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, Swiss Committee for UNICEF, Zürich.
Defence for Children International – Italy, Family and Childcare Centre Greece (2014), IMPACT
, Improving monitoring and protection systems against
child trafficking and exploitation, Transnational analysis, Family and Childcare Centre Greece and Defence for
Children International - Italy, p. 22. Dercon, S. (2001), Assessing
vulnerability to poverty, Oxford University. Alwang, J., Siegel, P.B.,
Jorgensen, S.L. (2001), Vulnerability: A view from different disciplines, Social
Protection Discussion Paper No. 0115, The World Bank.
[2] European Council on Refugees and Exiles (2017), The concept of vulnerability in European asylum procedures, Asylum Information Database, Brussels.
