Children and young people have many rights enshrined in the “Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Do you already know this document?
A very important right is the right to participate and to be heard in the processes that concern you. You have the right to be heard and to say what you think and feel.
Here are several materials that will help you to understand this and other rights and to clarify the various contexts where you can be heard. These include videos, podcasts with the testimonies of other young people who have already been heard and some games to relax while you learn.
Some of my rights as a child or a teenager
The United Nations General Assembly wrote, in 1989, a document called the “Convention on the Rights of the Child”. In it, all the rights of children and young people arerecorded. Countries that agree to this document must respect all of these rights. Portugal has been one of these countries since 1990.
All decisions concerning you must be taken with your best interests in mind and, therefore, based on this convention.
And there is another very important right! Do you know which it is?
And there is another very important right!
Do you know which it is?
You have the right to freely express your opinion on issues that concern you and adults must takeit into account. Your opinion is very important!
But remember! You have many rights, but so do other people! You must respect other people’s rights.
Children and young people can be heard by different professionals.
Here you have the testimonies of some of these professionals.
Get to know “who is who”!
I will be heard… now what?
I will be heard…
And now?
Here you will find several videos that help you to understand better the different contexts where you can be heard (English subtitles can be defined when open in YouTube).
With LGP (Portuguese SignLanguage)
Do you want to know what young people who were already heard say?
Here you can read the testimonies of some young people who were heard in different places.
Being heard at the CPCJ
Click to read“I am Eduarda, and I am 11 years old. I was heard in a Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People because I was missing school.
My mother leaves home very early to work, and my father does not take me to school. First, they listened to my parents and then they listened to me. The technicians took me to a room where they usually hear only children and young people and explained that being heard is a right that I have. I thought it was an obligation, but after all, it is a right. I was also told that I have the right to education. Before asking me some questions about my life, they explained that there were no right or wrong answers, that I could ask questions too and that the most important thing was to tell everything I knew and remembered and the truth.
After knowing that being heard at a CPCJ is not the same as giving an oral presentation at school, I felt much more relaxed and confident”.
Being heard on Social Security
Click to read“I am Valentine, and I am 12 years old. My parents separated a few months ago, and last week, I was heard by Social Security.
The technician who works there wanted to understand how I felt about the separation and the changes that have been happening in my life. My parents no longer live together, but they are still my parents, and I have the right to live regularly with each of them. Between parents and children, there is no divorce! What I think is most important was that the technique helped me to understand that my opinion counts but that the final decision is not mine.
Even though I am only 12 years old, I already know that the court makes the final decisions. The technician also told me that the court decides by taking into account what it thinks is in the best interests of children and young people”.
Being heard in Court
Click to read“I am Zuleica, and I am 12 years old. I was heard in court because, at school, I shared photos on Insta of a colleague in the locker room without her knowing. In doing so, I shared my colleague’s private information without her express consent. Some colleagues saw and reported me to the class principal (pt: director de turma – DT), who spoke with the Safe School Programme officer. With this joke, I had to go to court.
I was heard in a very large room, which is called the courtroom. It was similar to the ones we see in the movies. But the judge and the public prosecutor were dressed regularly, without their gowns. I was accompanied by a technician who explained to me beforehand who was in the room, and that was important for me because I already knew what to expect.
By going through this experience, I learned that what I did was serious and that several professionals are attentive so that the rights of all children and young people are guaranteed”.
Being heard at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences
Click to read“I am Juliana, and I am 13 years old. I was heard by an expert at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences because an adoption process is underway and the court thought it was important to understand what I think and feel about this matter. I have lived in an institution for some time and have the right to have a family that loves me and takes care of me.
Legal medicine is a place that can seem scary, but when I got there, I realized that I was going to be heard in a room that made me feel comfortable. They immediately explained to me the limits of confidentiality, that is, what I was going to say would be written down and then sent to the court, which needs information to decide my life. Even knowing this, I thought I should be honest.”
Being heard at the General Directorate of Social Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP)
Click to read“I am Hugo, and I am 14 years old. I was heard at the General Directorate of Social Reintegration and Prison Services because I took something that was not mine… I stole a cell phone in a store because I really wanted that model, just like my friends had.
After being heard at the police station, I had to go to court and started to be accompanied by a technician from the DGRSP, who helped me to understand that, by taking something that was not mine, I was committing a crime and violating other people’s rights.
I also realised that the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasises the importance of creating ways to support and educate young people who commit a crime. Even though it has been a difficult situation for my family and me, I think it has been an opportunity for me to learn to find other ways to solve my problems.”
Being heard at the Judiciary Police (PJ)
Click to read“I am Edilson, and I am 14 years old. I went to the Judiciary Police to talk to an inspector because something happened in handball… …the physical therapist sexually abused me.
At the PJ, I was heard in a special room for victims of crime, and they explained to me some of my rights, which are written in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. I have the right to be heard and to participate in proceedings that concern me, and I also have the right to be protected against any form of sexual abuse or exploitation.
Although this is a very difficult subject, and I got there very anxious, the inspector spoke to me in a way that helped me to relax. He wanted to get to know me and my interests, which helped me feel more comfortable and talk about what had happened to me”.
Being heard at the CPCJ
Click to read“I am Eduarda, and I am 11 years old. I was heard in a Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People because I was missing school.
My mother leaves home very early to work, and my father does not take me to school. First, they listened to my parents and then they listened to me. The technicians took me to a room where they usually hear only children and young people and explained that being heard is a right that I have. I thought it was an obligation, but after all, it is a right. I was also told that I have the right to education. Before asking me some questions about my life, they explained that there were no right or wrong answers, that I could ask questions too and that the most important thing was to tell everything I knew and remembered and the truth.
After knowing that being heard at a CPCJ is not the same as giving an oral presentation at school, I felt much more relaxed and confident”.
Being heard on Social Security
Click to read“I am Valentine, and I am 12 years old. My parents separated a few months ago, and last week, I was heard by Social Security.
The technician who works there wanted to understand how I felt about the separation and the changes that have been happening in my life. My parents no longer live together, but they are still my parents, and I have the right to live regularly with each of them. Between parents and children, there is no divorce! What I think is most important was that the technique helped me to understand that my opinion counts but that the final decision is not mine.
Even though I am only 12 years old, I already know that the court makes the final decisions. The technician also told me that the court decides by taking into account what it thinks is in the best interests of children and young people”.
Being heard in Court
Click to read“I am Zuleica, and I am 12 years old. I was heard in court because, at school, I shared photos on Insta of a colleague in the locker room without her knowing. In doing so, I shared my colleague’s private information without her express consent. Some colleagues saw and reported me to the class principal (pt: director de turma – DT), who spoke with the Safe School Programme officer. With this joke, I had to go to court.
I was heard in a very large room, which is called the courtroom. It was similar to the ones we see in the movies. But the judge and the public prosecutor were dressed regularly, without their gowns. I was accompanied by a technician who explained to me beforehand who was in the room, and that was important for me because I already knew what to expect.
By going through this experience, I learned that what I did was serious and that several professionals are attentive so that the rights of all children and young people are guaranteed”.
Being heard at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences
Click to read“I am Juliana, and I am 13 years old. I was heard by an expert at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences because an adoption process is underway and the court thought it was important to understand what I think and feel about this matter. I have lived in an institution for some time and have the right to have a family that loves me and takes care of me.
Legal medicine is a place that can seem scary, but when I got there, I realized that I was going to be heard in a room that made me feel comfortable. They immediately explained to me the limits of confidentiality, that is, what I was going to say would be written down and then sent to the court, which needs information to decide my life. Even knowing this, I thought I should be honest.”
Being heard at the General Directorate of Social Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP)
Click to read“I am Hugo, and I am 14 years old. I was heard at the General Directorate of Social Reintegration and Prison Services because I took something that was not mine… I stole a cell phone in a store because I really wanted that model, just like my friends had.
After being heard at the police station, I had to go to court and started to be accompanied by a technician from the DGRSP, who helped me to understand that, by taking something that was not mine, I was committing a crime and violating other people’s rights.
I also realised that the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasises the importance of creating ways to support and educate young people who commit a crime. Even though it has been a difficult situation for my family and me, I think it has been an opportunity for me to learn to find other ways to solve my problems.”
Being heard at the Judiciary Police (PJ)
Click to read“I am Edilson, and I am 14 years old. I went to the Judiciary Police to talk to an inspector because something happened in handball… …the physical therapist sexually abused me.
At the PJ, I was heard in a special room for victims of crime, and they explained to me some of my rights, which are written in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. I have the right to be heard and to participate in proceedings that concern me, and I also have the right to be protected against any form of sexual abuse or exploitation.
Although this is a very difficult subject, and I got there very anxious, the inspector spoke to me in a way that helped me to relax. He wanted to get to know me and my interests, which helped me feel more comfortable and talk about what had happened to me”.
