In 1881, Liverpool cleric George Staite took society to task: “…whilst we have a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”, he said “can we not do something to prevent cruelty to children?” At a time when children were seen and not heard, expected to work for a living, or placed in a poorhouse, and only the most privileged received an education, his stance was a brave one, and led to the establishment of the UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. 

Such pioneering work by social reformers all over Europe may have changed attitudes; but are we really that different? In the internet age, children are as vulnerable in Europe as anywhere else in the world, and some still suffer the ills that befall Victorian children. Click on any European media, any day of the week, and you’ll find stories of abuse, child trafficking, and abandonment. Go out into minority communities such as the Roma, and you’ll hear stories of children discriminated and segregated at school, or denied housing or health provision. 

Six years ago the Council of Europe decided it was time to take a stand and bring children’s rights to the fore. Much work was already underway – but it was fragmented; what was needed was a strong programme to root the need for children’s rights into the public conscience. Spurred on by Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, herself a human rights lawyer specialising in children’s rights, the project launched; with the name “Building a Europe for and with children” signalling that children would have a say. Times had changed: no longer would the fact of being smaller and less developed mean that you had smaller and less developed rights. 

This week, the Council of Europe launched the next stage of construction with a four three year strategy that aims to create a bridge between laws, often perfectly sound in theory – and practice, which is sometimes sadly lacking. Prevention, protection, provision and participation are the by-words, with an emphasis on sharing and building capacity by tailoring projects that have been successful in one country to another. The Council of Europe will act as a hub, pointing politicians, professionals and children towards the right information, and has pledged to bring a child’s rights perspective to all its activities – especially in the work of monitoring bodies, such as the anti torture and anti racism commissions. 

Most importantly, we have listened to children.  We know we have to change public services to make them more child-friendly; they have told us so. They say they are not taken seriously by professionals – or, more alarmingly, not believed when they speak of abuse. Violence is a major concern, and many do not feel protected from bullying, corporal punishment or sex abuse. Even when they get to court, they can face proceedings that fail to respect their rights. Children in care, asylum seekers and child prisoners feel stressed and traumatised.  Most of all, they say they have no voice, that they are ignored and excluded from civil life and from important decisions that affect their lives. 

Europe may not put animals before children, but the road to adulthood is still tough for many children and young people. Modern times have brought their own threats – cyber bullying, sexual exploitation, discrimination and the simple fact of being frozen out by the ignorance of public services. In a complex world, getting increasingly more complex, children need to feel that their rights are truly part of human rights.