Children’s Rights and Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs

Mats Granlund

“Children with Disability: Focus on Human Rights and Intervention”A two day seminar at CAAC, University of Pretoria 2013.01.31-

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Why is this interesting?

Most studies of children’s deprivation of rights in low income settings focus on:

• Physiological needs implies that because of being a hierarchy children donot experience higher needs unless basic needs are fullfilled

• Have care providers as respondents implies that children can’t talk for themselvesand that care providers can provide reliable ratings on all kinds of needs

• Focus on children without impairments implies that children with impairmentshave lower status and can’t talk for themselves

Principles of rights(From Simeonsson, 2008)

• Beneficience: Child is provided what is goodfor self and development

• Non-maleficience: Child is protected from harm

• Social justice: Child experiences equaltreatment

• Integrity: Child recognized and respected as person

• Autonomy: Child’s independence and controlover life

UN Convention on the rights of the child

• Integrity a person: Articles 1-3

• Inherent right to life/survival: Article 6

• Identity Articles 7-8

• Family environment: Article 9, 18

• Right to be heard Article 12,13

• Protect from exploitation: Articles 19, 32 34

• Protection in institutional care: Article 20, 25

• Education Article 22

• Highest allowable health Article 24

Deprivation of rights(from Simeonsson, 2008)

– Deprivation of rights :

• Constraint, limitation or barrier in child’s access to or encounters with physical, social or psychological environment essential to their growth and development

• Constraint, limitation or barrier of child’sopportunities to participate in major liferoles

What is a need

Problem = The difference between the current situation and a desired situation

Need = A resource or tool necessary to solve a perceived problem

By providing what is needed a problem can be solved

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Basic assumption: People progress from a secure base of basic need satisfactionto satisfy ”higher” needs

Physiological needsSafety needs

Belongingness and love

Esteem

Self transcendence

Self-actualization

Deficiency needs

Growth needs

Relating children’s rights to needs

Children’s rights Hierarchy of needs

Constraint, limitation or barrier in child’s access to or encounters with physical, social or psychological environment essential to their growth and development

Constraint, limitation or barrier of child’s opportunitiesto participate in major liferoles

Physiological needs, safetyneeds,belongingness and love,esteem = deprivational needs

Self-actualization, self-transendence = growth needs

Questions asked:

Theoretical questions?

Is there a hierarchy of needs?How many types of needs are there?

Practical questions:Can children provide valid and reliable responses?Are care providers proxy ratings reliable for all kinds of needs?

Questionnaire items categorizedaccording to needs

1. Do you have water to drink at home? Physiological2. Do you have food to eat at home? Physiological3. Do you have medicine at home when you need it? Physiological4. Do you have a place to sleep at home? Physiological5. Do you have toys to play with at home? Physiological6. Do you have a wheelchair or walking aid to help you move around? Physiological

7. Do you have something like a communicat. board to help you talk at home? Safety 8. Do you like it when people get angry with you9. Do you have glasses to help you see at home? Safety10. Do you have a hearing aid to help you hear at home? Safety 11. If you are confused, do you have someone to expl. things to you at home? Safety

12. Is there someone who cares about you at home? Love and belonging13. Do you have friends to play with at home? Love and belonging

14. Do you have your own books to work in at school? Belonging/ self esteem

Percentage number of children and parents who choose the same answer

Question % N Maslow

Do you have clean water to drink at home? 82.7% 214 Physiological

Do you have food to eat at home? 76.8% 211 Physiological

Do you have your own bed to sleep in at home? 67.8% 211 Physiological

Do you have something like a walking aid or wheel chair to help you move around at home?

80.8% 26 Physiological

Do you have things to play with at home? 49.8% 211 PhysiologicalMean 71,58

Question % N Maslow

Do you have something like glasses to help you see at home?

52.9% 17 Safety needs

Do you have someone or something to help you understand instructions when you are at home?

44.1% 34 Safety needs

Do you have something like a communication board to help you speak when you are at home?

44.4% 17 Safety needs

Is there someone who cares for you and protects you?

77.5% 213 Love and belonging

Do you have friends to play with at home? 51.2% 213 Love and belonging

Rotated Component Matrixa

Component 1 2 3

Do you have clean water (ph)? -,117 ,862 ,064

Do you have food (ph)? -,023 ,524 -,368

When you are sick, do you have medicine (ph)? ,711 -,316 ,025

Do you have your own bed (ph)? ,499 ,639 ,345

Do you have things to play with (ph)? ,328 ,388 ,345

Do you have a wheelchair or walking aid (ph)? ,867 ,093 -,036

When you are confused, is there someone to help expl. (saf)? ,485 -,172 ,437

Is there someone who cares for you and protects you (l&b))? ,803 ,351 ,048

Do you have friends to play with (l&b)? 560 ,099 ,667

At school, do you have your own books to work in (l,b& s)? -,189 ,051 ,877

How many types of needs are there?

Number of studies out of 365 where children participated in the research process