Children have the same right to free expression as adults, but it is not always respected. The degree to which it is acts as a gauge of how children are perceived as human rights holders in a given society. If children are not able to express their opinions and feelings, how can they describe the ways in which their rights are respected or infringed, and learn to stand up for the rights of others? Communities evolve through the exchange of ideas and shared knowledge; without it, societies would become stagnant with only the views of the most powerful on display.

Children’s interest in building friendships and in civic participation should be nurtured, not suppressed. While many societies restrict everyone’s freedom to gather and assemble peacefully, others place particular limits on this right for children. Youth curfews and minimum ages for joining associations are some examples.

Parents play a central guiding role in a child’s life. But while parents have a duty to care and provide for their children, they do not have a right to raise or treat them however they see fit; a child’s best interests should be their primary concern. This duty requires support from the State - whether in the form of child-care for parents in paid work or other provisions.