17th Children and Youth Report: Young people want more say

Children and young people are no longer as optimistic about the future. This is shown by the 17th Children and Young People’s Report, which was commissioned by the Federal Government. The reason for this is also politics.

22 million children, teenagers and young adults live in Germany. They are sometimes referred to as “Generation Z”, but there is no such thing as “one youth”. Urban, rural, poor, rich, east, west, with or without a migration background – young people are as diverse as their living conditions.

And yet, one thing unites them: “Their view of the world and life is critical,” said Family Minister Lisa Paus of the Greens at the presentation of the Children and Youth Report. Many young people’s confidence in the future has declined. “What will happen in the next ten or 20 years? The consequences of wars, climate crises, global refugee movements, the aftermath of the pandemic, the shortage of skilled workers in so many areas of work – these are putting a strain on young people,” said Paus.

Forgotten by politics

Young people find security, trust and orientation primarily in their families, according to the children and youth report, which was prepared by a fourteen-member expert commission. There appears to be no generational conflict.

But politics gets bad marks. Children and young people often feel that they are not being heard, says Commission Chair Karin Böllert from the University of Münster: “Young people perceive political decision-making processes as non-transparent, as being remote from young people. They would like to have more opportunities to have a say here, combined with guaranteed rights to be able to help shape their own life situation.”

Little say promotes openness to populism

In a society in which the number of older people is increasing and the number of young people is decreasing, children and young people are in danger of falling behind, stressed Family Minister Paus. Having a say is important – also to strengthen social cohesion.

“If young people are not allowed to have a say and if their needs do not seem to be given weight in decisions, then this not only violates their rights, but also undermines their trust in politics and democratic processes,” said the minister. And it makes them vulnerable to populist promises. Her department is therefore working on a national action plan to promote the participation of young people.

Children’s rights under the Basic Law

Paus again called for children’s rights to be enshrined in the constitution. But for this – for a change to the constitution – the votes of the Union are needed. And the Union rejects the plan.

For its 600-page report, the expert commission did not collect its own data, but evaluated existing studies. In addition, around 5,400 young people were involved in the survey, including through workshops.