Critical Perspectives on Participation from a European Project with Children and Young People Who Have Experienced Violence Spyros Spyrou (with Jan Horwath and Efrosini Kalyva) Paper Presented at the International Conference Improving Children’s Lives: An International Interdisciplinary Conference Feb 2014, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Project  The purpose of the project was to produce training and learning materials to assist practitioners, managers and policymakers within governmental and non-governmental organizations to develop good practices in relation to promoting the participation of young people who have experienced violence, and to assist members of these organizations in the development of participatory projects to combat violence against children and young people.  Study undertaken by a team of researchers, practitioners and young people from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and the UK.  Project funded under the Daphne Programme ( ).

The key themes identified by young people  The context in which the participatory project occurs  The facilitator  The past experiences of the young person  Group dynamics

Barriers to participation erected by facilitators  being disrespectful by not preparing properly in terms of planning or ignoring promises about anonymity and confidentiality;  failing to value the young people by dismissing some of their views, choosing to misinterpret what is said for the facilitator's own ends or putting pressure on the young people to make particular decisions, and  failing to see members of the group as individuals but as a type.

A successful facilitator is someone who:  can support children and young people to make decisions without patronizing them;  does not make assumptions and resort to using stereotypes;  is able to adapt their own style to suit the needs of the group;  allows children and young people to speak freely;  ensures the safety and security of everyone involved in the participatory process.

Participation is meaningful when:  there is trust between the young people and representatives of organizations;  young people are valued and respected as active agents in the design and delivery of policy and practice, and  the impact of past experiences of violence on young people's needs, when engaging in participatory activities, is identified and addressed.

The key components that appear to interact to inform the type of participation that operates are:  The context  The facilitator  Group dynamics  The young person

For more information please see: Horwath, Jan, Efrosini Kalyva and Spyros Spyrou 2012 “I want my experiences to make a difference”: Promoting participation in policy-making and service development by young people who have experienced violence. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(1):