" A movement on behalf of children and young people seems to be taking shape in this country. There is much for it to do. Such a movement may begin to rectify the shameful conditions that lead to the damage and death of so many children. It could raise our personal conciousness about our stereotypes and hurtful attitudes toward the young.

It could change our laws and institutions to recognize the fact that age is no precondition to human rights. It might provide young people with healthier options for learning and growing.

Change is needed everywhere - in our minds and feelings, and in our patterns of work, education, law, and politics. We urgently need to see clearly, articulate precisely, and above all acts boldly on issues involving young people. This book is designed as a contribution to the job that needs to be done. "

With this succinct yet eloquent introduction begins one of the best compendiums of Youth Rights thought and argument ever published. This unique collection of essays will shock you, but in the end one is inspired to act for social change.

The essays can be disturbing, especially in the beginning, because they must accurately (and at times, graphically) describe the realities of child abuse and oppression. There are true stories of brutal child abuse within the home as well as within schools and institutions that at times can be too graphic to bear. The reality of youth oppression can be summed up in one title "turning kids to waste" telling how what should be the wonderful experience of childhood can be turned into a waking nightmare of abuse and control. Yet the children's rights movement does not linger on the bad. The contributors present positive and doable solutions, and elucidate the arguments behind youth liberationism's simple demand - equal rights.

There are excellent profiles of one of the first modern youth rights organizations, Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor. The essays read like a who's who of kid lib thinkers and activists, from such high profile names as John Holt and Ann Landers to less known but still influential activists.

After seeing the copyright date on this book I thought that reading it would only be worth the historical value of the movement. However, it had a shocking currency. Reading this book in 1999 was a saddening experience, because so little has changed since it was published in 1977. Most of the injustices contained in its pages that occurred twenty-two years ago can , and do still happen today. Since then other oppressed groups have gained their rights, but youth are still far behind from true equality, possibly even further down the slope than back then. Reading The Children's Rights Movement contains timeless thought that applies to every age and gives a good outline of the roots of youth activism today. In 1977 youth rights was only a small scattering of like-minded kids, and now it is a worldwide movement. It gives one hope to think what the movement will be like in another twenty-two years. If you are looking for a good outline of the history and issues behind the youth rights movement, The Children's Rights Movement is the best resource you can find.

Go back to the Main Page