Includes bibliographical references and index.

Are children human? -- Interlude : taking a deep breath -- The convention on the rights of the child and its principles -- The convention: norms and themes -- Enforcing children's rights -- Criticisms of the convention -- Beyond the convention -- Interlude : what we can learn from the sociology of childhood -- Childhoods and rights -- Regional children's rights -- Child-friendly justice -- The world twenty-five years on : new issues and responses -- Rethinking children's rights -- Alternatives to rights : or are they? -- A magna carta for children? -- Rethinking principles and concepts -- Conclusion -- Coda : a child of our time.

"The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty, yet children still face poverty, violence, war, disease and disaster. Are the rights we currently afford to children enough? Combining historical analysis with international human rights law, Michael Freeman considers early legal and philosophical theories on children's rights before exploring the impact and limitations of the Convention itself. He also suggests the ways we may rethink children's rights in the future, as well as identifying key areas for reform. This book will appeal to an interdisciplinary audience who are interested in children's rights, childhood studies, the history of childhood, international human rights and comparative family law. It is a crucial restatement of the importance of law, policy and rights in improving children's lives"--