One Size Does Not Fit All: Youth Participation in Non-Governmental Organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

The importance of involving children and young people in decisions that affect them is now almost universally acknowledged, however, that acknowledgement has not necessarily translated into effective practice. A number of questions are still being raised about how young people’s involvement in decision-making should be done, whether all children and young people get the chance to participate, and whether it actually makes a difference. Using a two-phase research design, this thesis explored the views of youth participation from adults and young people involved in non-governmental organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand, including the rationale for youth participation, the methods used, the barriers and enablers, and the effects of participation. The first phase involved secondary data analysis of quantitative and qualitative survey data using descriptive statistical and thematic analysis. The second phase involved semi-structured interviews with adults and focus groups with young people involved in organisations identified as exemplifying best practice in youth participation and an abductive approach to thematic analysis of these data. The findings demonstrate that youth participation is effective when it achieves the outcomes sought by both the organisation and the young people. Thus the rationale for youth participation from both the perspective of the organisation and the young people matters and should determine both the form of participation as well as other features of youth participation efforts, such as the supports provided. One size does not fit all when it comes to youth participation. Different groups of young people and different individuals have different reasons to get involved, experience different barriers, benefit from different kinds of support, and prefer different methods of participation. So too do organisations. In order to identify these differences, organisations need to be flexible and have a good understanding of the young people they are working with to be able to consider their perspective and be responsive to their needs. This means the quality of relationships between staff and young people are critical. Participation should not be limited to formal or traditional forms. Informal participation can be part of the organisational culture and effective in its own right. Although further research is required to understand the generalisability of the findings, they have important implications for youth participation practice.