Sticks & Stones: A Training Manual for Facilitators on How to Increase the Involvement of Children in Their Own Protection

Traditionally, children have been mainly seen as passive recipients of care, which often
implies disciplinary measures resorting to corporal punishment and other violent methods. The rights-based approach opens a whole new perspective, where children are viewed and respected as resourceful human beings, capable of contributing in line with their evolving capacities and being part of solutions for improving their own lives. Involvement of children in their own protection encourages a shift from children being mere objects of care to becoming active subjects of their own development.

This manual was primarily developed to help fieldworkers working with children and facilitating children’s groups to help increase children’s capacities to be more involved in their own protection by being better equipped to protect themselves and their peers. However, the authors hope that the technical information contained in Part 1 will be of general use to programme staff, policy makers and others who advocate for children’s rights to increase their understanding of the issues surrounding the involvement of children in protection.