The Outcomes of Child Rights Education: A Scoping Review

Background and Purpose: Child rights education (CRE) is an intervention in which children learn their human rights, often grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Ratified by 196 countries (excluding the United States), the CRC includes 54 articles that define children’s rights and the obligations of adults and governments to uphold them. A central goal of CRE is to support children in becoming active rights holders by providing a framework through which they can claim and defend their rights (UNICEF, 2014). CRE aims to promote children’s empowerment, moral development, psychological well-being, and civic engagement (Covell & Howe, 2001; Jerome et al., 2015). Prior research suggests potential benefits, yet little is known about the overall state of peer-reviewed research on CRE. This scoping review maps the existing global literature on CRE outcomes and addresses the following questions: What outcomes have been studied? What research designs have been used? In what settings and with which populations? What are the general findings?

Methods: We conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Four databases were searched: Education Full Text, ERIC, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, and Child Development and Adolescent Studies. Inclusion criteria were: (1) intervention grounded in the CRC, (2) examination of CRE outcomes, (3) peer-reviewed article, (4) available in English, and (5) published in 2001 or later–the year the Committee on the Rights of the Child released General Comment No. 1, outlining the aims of education under the CRC. After removing duplicates, two authors independently screened 12,797 titles and abstracts, with disagreements reconciled through discussion with a third author. Eighty-one articles were selected for full-text review, and 21 met inclusion criteria.

Results: Articles included qualitative (9), quantitative (6), and mixed methods (6). Common research designs included quasi-experiments with pre-test/post-test comparisons across multiple groups (4 studies), post-test-only comparisons across groups (4), single-group pre-test/post-test designs (2), and participatory action research (3). The studies were conducted across 15 countries, with most based in Europe (e.g., the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden), followed by studies in North America (Canada, United States), Asia (Bangladesh, Israel, Turkey), and Africa (Uganda). Most studies focused on public school students, with some involving teachers, school administrators, and postsecondary students. The most frequently studied outcome was knowledge of children’s rights, with most studies reporting improvements. Other commonly examined outcomes included rights-supportive attitudes, peer relationships, school climate, mental health and well-being, and participatory behaviors. Outcome measures varied widely, with limited use of validated tools or consistent indicators across studies. Findings were positive or null; no studies reported adverse outcomes.

Conclusions and Implications: Child rights education shows promise as a tool for supporting student empowerment, human rights awareness, and inclusive learning environments. However, the evidence base remains limited, with inconsistent outcome measures and few rigorous evaluations. Future research should include parents/caregivers and conduct randomized controlled trials. CRE offers an underutilized yet promising framework for advancing human rights across child-serving systems. Social work researchers are well-positioned to lead in advancing CRE through international research, practice, and policy engagement.