In the light of recent world facts, there has been growing attention paid to refugee minors who, fleeing from violence, war, poverty and climate change, or seeking better opportunities, hope to reach safety in Europe. Challenging life experiences such as war, violence, forced displacement, etc., can potentially threaten children’s development. However, many succeed in turning their lives around and develop well despite such negative circumstances. Refugee children, often overlooked by immigration laws and policy makers, prove to be a particularly resilient group, very resourceful in mechanisms for overcoming life adversities. By taking this understanding of refugee minors as a starting point, this article provides an overview of research in the field of resilience, aiming to discuss the implications that tie refugee minors’ well-being to the human and children’s rights obligations that society bears towards them. The article concludes that there is an urgent need for interventions and programs which target factors that promote refugee children’s resilience in their design and implementation, informed by current knowledge of refugee children’s life and cultural background, and their self-ratings of negative and positive life events. The standards defined by human and children’s rights instruments and equity regarding children’s rights to achieve a good life should be a matter to be taken seriously for all children worldwide.

Through a qualitative research carried out in South-East Italy with twelve Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) this paper attempts to explore their relation with the Internet and digital media. Findings reveal that digital tools facilitate communication and socialization and allow UASC to maintain relationships with social networks in their countries of origin as well as expand their networks in the country of residence within the migrant community. Digital media enhance access to information and leisure activities. Even if UASC recognize some risks of being online similar to those European adolescents face, it emerges that overall the Internet and digital media contribute to their wellbeing. They have the power to boost resilience vis-à-vis the challenges UASC face in their lives: being alone, in a new country, often institutionalized and without the support of a trustworthy adult figure.

W artykule autorki przedstawiają metody pracy partycypacyjnej z dziećmi w Domu Sierot, wykorzystywane przez Janusza Korczaka – żydowsko-polskiego pedagoga, lekarza, pisarza i działacza praw dziecka. Zwracają uwagę na możliwości zastosowania metod Korczaka we współczesnym świecie – zwłaszcza w pracy międzykulturowej z dziećmi w trudnych warunkach ich funkcjonowania, w okresie wzmożonych ruchów migracyjnych i pogłębiających się nierówności społecznych. Odwołują się do aspektów praw dziecka, ich aktywności i uczestnictwa w ramach podejścia edukacyjnego zainicjowanego przez Korczaka. Jest to podejście oparte na wartościach szacunku dla dziecka i współpracy w partnerstwie z dzieckiem.

The Institution of a Child Representative in the Context of the Right to a Court (with a Special Reference to Proceedings in Family Matters)

The purpose of the article is to present the institution of the child representative in the context of the constitutional right to a court against the background of family cases. The paper characterises the right to court and the right to be represented, in particular the right to be heard. The new institution of family law – the child’s representative – acting in some countries as a guardian ad litem or guardian ad litem – is presented. The child as the subject of his or her rights should be guaranteed the right to be heard and to have his or her views represented. The paper analyses the institution of the child representative and its importance by the child’s best interests. The institution of a child representative is a regulation that has the potential to increase the participation of children in court procedures, which is particularly important in family proceedings.