Children's perspectives on child well-being : a pathway to sustainable futures

Abstract

Children’s well-being is a combination of their physical, mental, emotional and social health. Children have rights, including the right to participate in matters that concern their well-being. The social work profession is committed to promoting and improving children’s well-being by making sure their rights are protected while recognising that children have agency to contribute to social change. In South Africa, social workers utilise the developmental approach which recognises the importance of child participation to ensure positive outcomes for sustainable futures. The aim of the study was to explore and describe children’s perspectives on their well- being as a pathway to a sustainable future within the South African context. The theoretical framework which was used for the study was the ecological systems theory. The selected study design was a case study and more specifically instrumental case study. The qualitative research approach was employed, and the type of research utilised was applied research. The snowball sampling method was used to draw a sample of 10 children in their middle childhood between the ages of 8-12 years. The study participants were from Sunnyside, Region 3 of the City of Tshwane Municipality. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews guided by an interview schedule. The thematic analysis process was used to analyse the collected data. The findings of the study revealed that participants’ perceived child participation, in matters concerning them, as important. Child participation comprised being listened to, respected, and being given opportunities to complete tasks independently to build their competence and resilience. Participants were of the view that adults did not trust them enough to give them responsibilities that would promote their growth and development. The study concluded that child participation was important for the positive development of children and improvement of their well-being both in the present and the future. The study recommends that children’s agency be developed through participation and decision-making. Children’s participation must be recognised and valued by role players in all matters concerning them. Further research should investigate how children in the broader South African context are participating in promoting their own well-being and contributing to a better society.