Children's rights and parents' rights in child welfare, education, and health: Tracking national trends - YEDI-affiliated project
Jill Berrick, Professor
Social Welfare
Applications for Fall 2026 are closed for this project.
The U.S. is the only country in the world that has not signed the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The position of children in this country is therefore ambiguous and contested. Examining news stories that pertain to children and families over the past five years, this study will determine whether there are trends towards privileging children's rights or parents' rights in the areas of health, education, or child welfare, and the ways in which those rights are expressed across states and contexts.
Role: Data have been collected, coded numerically, and cleaned. Student will assist with data analysis and collection of relevant literature.
If you are selected for this research project, you will also be invited to join the Youth Equity Discovery Initiative (YEDI) Program, a research mentorship program that aims to build supportive pathways into research careers, service, and leadership addressing adolescent wellbeing. The year-long program provides weekly skill-building workshops, cascading mentorship, and professional development training to a cohort of 20-30 undergraduate scholars working on faculty-led youth equity research projects (like this one). Past scholars have benefitted from YEDI’s mentorship and professional development opportunities (including faculty and graduate student speakers). The program culminates in an end-of-year research poster symposium. Participation in the YEDI Program is not required for this research project, but is strongly encouraged.
The 2026-2027 YEDI cohort will meet on Tuesdays from 11:00am - 12:30pm beginning September 22nd. In order to take part in the YEDI program, you MUST be able to attend the workshops at this time. As a YEDI scholar, you will sign up for a PH198 (independent research) class and receive 1 unit in addition to the units you will receive for this URAP project. For any questions about YEDI, please contact Marieka Schotland at mschotland@berkeley.edu or visit our website (https://i4y.berkeley.edu/youth-equity-discovery-initiative-yedi-program).
Qualifications: Strong candidates will have an interest in children's issues and knowledge of R for data analysis.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Jill Duerr Berrick, Ph.D. candidate
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Remote. Includes bi-weekly meeting with professor
Related website: http://
Social Sciences