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V

Vulnerability

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.