Dignity

We believe that all people deserve to be valued and respected. No matter who they are or what they do. This includes people below a certain age. Unfortunately not everyone agrees with us...

We believe young people should not be:

• degraded,
• dehumanized,
• instrumentalized or objectified,
• humiliated.

Why do we, as a society, find it okey to treat young people as less-than-humans or yet-to-be-humans? Why do we treat them in a way no adult deserves to be treated? Why is it acceptable to humiliate a child over "bad" behavior? Or be indifferent to their mental health struggles "because" of their academic achievements? Or deny them services (I'm not even talking about "dangerous" ones)? Or treat them like they are "the cause of all crime"? Or treat them as cohorts and not individuals?

howit happens

Generally

• Why are claims made by young people believed less than these made my adults because young people are "manipulative" (even though adults are more manipulative^{[citation needed]})?
• Why do we find it acceptable to photograph a child against their will? Or publish photographs of a child taken against their will?
• Why do we find it acceptable to use cruel and unusual punishment against the children? Or to punish them haphazardly?

At school

• Why are students' respect is often tied to grades and behavior (including behavior that doesn't disturb others)?
• Why do we find it acceptable to publicly humiliate a student for a small mistake?