Vulnerability
is understood as a multi-sectoral, ecological and rights-based concept. The
vulnerability of a child refers to the limited chances of the child to fully
exercise their rights as afforded under the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child. From a rights-based perspective, vulnerability depends on the number and
severity of infringements or violations that a child is or may be exposed to (the risk) as well as the child’s resilience. Risk and resilience are
understood according to an ecological model. They interact at multiple levels
and are accumulating: personal risk and resilience are closely intertwined with
risk and resilience deriving from relationships, socio-political systems and
the environment. The child’s vulnerability can be caused or exacerbated when
the capability of the public administration to implement child rights standards
is weak and when it does not succeed to safeguard the human rights of the child
in practice. This is understood as structural vulnerability. Structural
vulnerability is related to state structures, action or inaction, and can
result in the violation of the rights of the child.[1]
[1] Adapted from the definition of vulnerability presented
in: Wenke, D. (2011), Vulnerable children
in Switzerland, Safeguarding the rights of every child, A discussion of a
systemic approach to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, Swiss Committee for UNICEF, Zürich.
Defence for Children International – Italy, Family and Childcare Centre Greece (2014), IMPACT, Improving
monitoring and protection systems against child trafficking and exploitation,
Transnational analysis, p. 22.