Children's rights and parents' rights in child welfare, education, and health: Tracking national and international trends
Jill Berrick, Professor
Social Welfare
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed for this project.
There are two related projects under this title. For Project #1 (currently full for new apprentices): 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.
For Project #2: Some countries have constitutionalized children's rights, articulating specific rights to health, education, and protection into their national constitutions. This project will collect data on national constitutions and identify where and how children's right to protection are included. (this project is open for applicants)
Role: For project #2: Create excel database with information from national constitutions
Qualifications: Strong candidates will have an interest in children's issues. Interest or knowledge relating to child protection may be helpful.
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