89% of surveyed parents do not have a clear understanding of the content of children’s rights as defined by the UN Convention
Ukrainian society still has a significant gap between declarative support for children’s rights and real understanding of their content. This is confirmed the results of a new UNICEF study dedicated to International Parenting Month. Despite the fact that Ukraine long ago ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the level of its recognition and understanding among the population remains extremely low. The problem lies not only in the lack of knowledge, but also in treating the rights of the child as abstract concepts that do not always have weight in the daily life of the family. Against this background, the risks of violations, misconceptions and lack of dialogue in families are increasing. These trends become especially important in wartime, when psychological stress, instability, and fatigue affect not only adults, but also children.
Ukrainians’ awareness of the Convention
According to the survey, only 11.3% of Ukrainians — both parents and teenagers — can confidently say that they are well acquainted with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. About a third (35% of parents and 38% of teenagers) have only heard something about its existence, and almost one in five have never encountered it at all. As a result, we have a situation where 89% of parents do not know the full content of the rights that a child has according to international standards.
Such ignorance is not just a formality, it creates serious risks: parents do not always understand where “education” ends and psychological pressure or violence begins. And teenagers do not know that they have the right to their own opinion, bodily integrity or private correspondence.
What rights do Ukrainian families know about
The respondents most often mentioned the right to education (80% of parents, 76% of teenagers), the right to health care (76% and 67%) and protection from violence (66% and 63%). These are the rights that are related to the material or obvious conditions of life. Instead, psychosocial rights such as the right to privacy (only 35% of parents and 45% of teenagers know) or the right to identity (44% of teenagers) remain little known or are considered “secondary”.
This confirms the thesis that people are better oriented in those rights that have a material or visible nature, and psychosocial aspects are often neglected.
UNICEF emphasizes that such a disparity in perception indicates a lack of comprehensive understanding of child rights as a system that encompasses not only life and safety, but also emotional, social and mental well-being.
Where Ukrainians get information about children’s rights
Schools (34%) and own parents (39%) remain the biggest source of information about children’s rights for teenagers. For adults, social networks (41%) and traditional media (33%). Telegram turned out to be a universal channel for both teenagers and parents (more than 70% use it to get information). TikTok dominates among young people (66%), while Facebook is popular with the older generation (56%). YouTube is used by both groups, and Instagram is more often chosen by teenagers.
But receiving information does not mean assimilating it. As the survey shows, most of the knowledge remains superficial, does not translate into practice and does not form sustainable behavior in the daily life of the family.
Although a large number of parents recognize the importance of supporting the rights of the child, more than a third of them agree that they themselves have violated these rights. Even more alarming, only 22% of parents and 17% of teenagers discuss children’s rights in their families every month or more often. That is, the vast majority of families do not have a stable practice of talking about respect, boundaries, choices, emotions and independence of the child.
This does not mean that parents are indifferent to children. On the contrary, many of them sincerely seek to provide care and safety. But in conditions of stress, economic instability and wartime, they lack the tools, knowledge and support to implement these intentions with a legal framework in mind.
How teenagers see their rights
The survey recorded a number of signals about changing young people’s ideas about their own rights. In particular, 15% of teenagers believe that a child has the right to refuse treatment, 12% – not to go to school. 34% value the freedom to express one’s opinion, while only 27% of parents consider it equally important. This testifies not only to the growing autonomy of thinking of teenagers, but also to the gap in the perception of the limits of freedom between generations.
At the same time, many teenagers mention violations of their rights in the form of psychological or physical violence, ignoring opinions, and violations of privacy. This again indicates that the topic of children’s rights remains vulnerable and insufficiently regulated in the family environment.
Gender differences in the perception of violence
Another interesting aspect is the differences between men and women in the interpretation of educational practices. 81% of women agree that shouting or using abusive words is a form of child abuse. Only 68% of men hold this opinion. This confirms that even basic concepts of respect, correct communication and emotional impact are perceived differently depending on gender.
As noted by the head of UNICEF in Ukraine, Munir Mammadzadeh, most parents want to protect their children, but it is difficult for them to cope alone, especially in wartime. The government commissioner for children’s rights, Darya Gerasimchuk, also emphasized that families need support, because upbringing in stressful conditions is a challenge not only for the family, but also for the state.
That is why UNICEF announced the launch of a new educational campaign aimed at expanding knowledge about children’s rights, making them visible and alive – not only in legislation, but also in the everyday life of Ukrainian families.
Survey data show that despite formal support and desire to protect children, Ukrainian society still has a long way to go before children’s rights become not an abstract term, but a part of daily interaction in the family, school, and community. Awareness, dialogue, respect, readiness to listen are not additional “options”, but the basic conditions for children’s development, especially at a time when the world around them demands stability, maturity and adaptability.
Legal protection of a child begins with simple things: the ability to listen, not to humiliate, explain, not to abuse the authority of an adult. And although international conventions are important, the main document on the rights of the child is written every day – in every conversation, decision, as well as in every conflict between an adult and a child.
