engleski

Advocacy and empowerment : the position of social pedagogists in Croatia

Currently human rights are emphasized as a basic value for every person, and with the goal of protecting those rights many international documents have been ratified and many different laws developed. All of us, and especially institutions responsible for the upbringing, education and development of children and youths, have an obligation of advocacy for children’ s rights. In other words, advocacy can be understood as pleading for the rights of children in order to create conditions for their positive development and so that they can reach their own potential. Social pedagogy, especially in Croatia, includes work with children and youths, with behavior/conduct disorders, and those who are at risk of developing these. Therefore, it is the obligation of social pedagogues to advocate on behalf of children and youths at risk, or those with developed behavioral disorders, regardless of the social context and field of work the social pedagogue specializes in, e.g. social welfare, education, police, juvenile justice system, health care, etc. Mechanisms for protecting children’ s rights and interests are defined by constitution, different laws, conventions, and documents which should represent the basis for all interventions that involve children and youths. However, the practice leads us to the conclusion that the care and protection system for children and youths with behavior disorders is often burdened with many problems, such as slowness, late interventions, lack of different kinds of intervention, etc. This article aims to reconsider the condition, possibilities and perspectives of advocacy and empowerment in social pedagogy through work in the governmental sector.

advocacy; empowerment; social pedagogy; behavioral disorders

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