“Young Voices Albania, 2017” report findings

Today, on the occasion of the Universal Children’s Rights week, children presented the findings and recommendations of the study report “Young Voices, 2017 Albania” at the report findings presentation event organized by Save the Children and People’s Advocate Institution in collaboration with Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.  “Young Voices Albania, 2017” discovers in depth children’s views and their critical concerns for the present and for the future. “Young Voices Albania 2017” reached 1,200 children from 8 regions (urban and rural areas) of Albania, aged 12, 14 and 17, respectively from Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Korça, Gjirokastra, Kuçova, Mat and Dibra. The study report is carried out by Save the Children in collaboration with Child Led Group “Voice 16+… and is funded by SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency).

Key results of the survey “Young Voices Albania, 2017”

Around 97% of the children have heard of children’s rights, whereas 89% of them have obtained that information at school. Awareness on the Children’s rights and on the Convention is similar

among girls in urban and rural areas, while boys in urban areas are slightly more informed than their peers in rural areas.

Almost 94% of the children think that the government needs to do more to help children that feel excluded due to poverty, ethnic discrimination or disability.

Approximately 89% of the interviewed children think that policymakers should take into consideration the opinions of children on matters that concern them, whilst 60% of the children state that they have not had any or little chance to be heard by policymakers and 81% of them stated that they would like to have more access to decision-making. Regarding the participation of children in decisions taken on their behalf at school, almost 30% of the children have stated that they have not given their opinions on matters regarding them.

The findings show that 58% of the children have seen another child being physically violated, whilst 34% of the children have been bullied. Significantly girls in urban areas, nearly 40% (39,5%) have felt bullied and harassed as much as twice more than boys (20,3%) while the percentage of girls and boys that felt bullied or harassed in rural areas are almost the same (40,8% and 38,9%).

Furthermore, according to the survey, 56% of children are of the opinion that duty bearers need to do more to eliminate bullying; 87% of children are of the opinion that duty bearers need

to do more to help children who self-harm, and 90% of children consider the presence of a psychologist/social worker at school as very important.

Young Voices report was produced in the framework of the project Children Keeping Children Safe, financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, implemented by Save the Children in collaboration with the State Agency for Protection of Child Rights and People’s Advocate Institution.