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Youth participation > Levels of participation
Levels of participation
The different levels of what is and is not youth participation can be summarised by using "Hart’s Ladder".
The following is adapted from Hart R
(1992) Children’s Participation: From Tokenism to Citizenship
(Innocenti Essays No 4), UNICEF International Child Development Centre,
Italy.
8. Youth-initiated, shared decisions with adults
Young people have the ideas, set up the project, and invite adults to join them in making decisions.
7. Youth-initiated and directed
Young people have the initial idea and decide how the project is to be carried out. Adults are available but do not take charge.
6. Adult-initiated, shared decisions with young people
Adults have the initial idea but young people are involved in every
step of the planning and implementation. Their views are not only
considered but they are also involved in making the decisions.
5. Consulted and informed
The project is designed and run by adults, but young people are
consulted. They have a full understanding of the process and their
opinions are taken seriously.
4. Assigned but informed
Adults decide on the project but young people volunteer for it. Young
people understand the project and know who decided they should be
involved and why. Adults respect their views.
Levels of non participation
It is important to remember that the following levels (Tokenism,
Decoration and Manipulation) are NOT examples of youth participation.
You are in a position to move away from these methods to involve young
people in effective and meaningful participation. Full youth
participation means that young people are involved in policy and
programme development and in decisions about what is done.
3. Tokenism
Young people are asked to say what they think about an issue but have
little or no choice about the way they express those views or the scope
of the ideas they can express.
2. Decoration
Young people take part in an event, but they do not really understand the issues.
1. Manipulation
Young people do or say what adults suggest they do, but have no real
understanding of the issues, OR young people are asked what they think,
adults use some of the ideas but do not tell them what influence they
have on the final decision.
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