Vulnerability should not eclipse agency: Perspectives from Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)

One key recommendation from our jointly produced report on Forces children’s education is to embed children and young people’s participation in their learning journey.

But sometimes, children and young people who are perceived as vulnerable can be excluded from participation activities.

Juliet Harris, Director at Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights), reflects on why it’s essential for practitioners to balance meaningful participation with the protection of children and young people. 

‘Vulnerability should not eclipse agency’
Lundy, L. (2025).

Children who are seen as vulnerable are often the very children whose voices are least likely to be heard. That is the tension Laura Lundy highlights – and it’s one we continue to see in practice through our members at Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights). Of course, some children need protection and support. But vulnerability cannot become a reason to exclude them from decisions that shape their lives. If anything, it strengthens the case for ensuring their views are actively sought out and taken seriously.

Our 2026 State of Children’s Rights report shows what this looks like in practice across Scotland. It includes examples of children shaping decisions about the spaces and services in their communities, influencing how support is designed and delivered, and challenging decisions that affect their relationships and wellbeing. This includes work led by Forces Children Scotland, where children from Forces families are supported to share their experiences and influence the services and systems around them. The common thread is clear: when adults create safe, inclusive and meaningful opportunities to participate, children’s rights are more likely to be respected across the board.

This shifts the question from whether children should be involved to whether their vulnerability is being used, consciously or not, to limit their agency. As Laura Lundy demonstrates, participation is not incompatible with protection. Children can be in need of support and still have views, preferences and insights about their own lives. The challenge is to hold both at once – recognising vulnerability without closing down participation.

With the UNCRC now part of Scots law, the focus must be on making this real in practice – ensuring that vulnerability never becomes a justification for exclusion, but a reason to strengthen children’s influence over the decisions that affect them.