Playing Together

Abstract:

The Convention on the Rights of the Child can be viewed as a cross-culturally accepted “handbook” of what it takes for a child to thrive, and a supplement to developmental psychology textbooks. This chapter aims to write psychology into the children’s rights agenda, and demonstrate the value of combining human rights and psychology. It argues that psychology can, and should, be an active player in the fulfilment of children’s rights, locally and globally. Conversely, integrating the human rights framework into science and practice will strengthen psychology. Teaming up depends on knowledge of each other’s field and finding viable linkages between human rights and psychology. Human rights provide a moral and legal platform to protect and promote fundamental rights at all ages. Children’s human rights have been embraced by the international community for a long time, acknowledging children’s vulnerability and special need for protection.