Session 2: Children Flashcards
What are the arguments for respecting children’s choices?
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What are the arguments against respecting children’s choices
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What are the key factors in determining best interest in children
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How does value diversity lead to differing conceptions of best interests in children
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For an autonomous choice, what does a child need?
> Understand information
Be able to formulate values in order to weight up information
Be able to make a decision without feeling undue influence
When will children usually meet the criteria for autonomous decision making?
8-15 years
What are the problems with children’s choices?
> cognitive ability - does the child fully understand the impact of their decisions?
psychological maturity - does the chid feel pressured to make particular decisions
Values, beliefs and aspirations - will they want the same thing in ten years?
What does the prefrontal cortex do?
Planning and reasoning
Inhibitory control
When is the prefrontal cortex functional and when does it fully develop
Functional by 4, developed by around 16
What are the three components of best interests?
Basic
Developmental
Autonomy
What is basic interest
Promotion of physical emotional care and wellbeing
What is developmental interest
Promotion of a child’s development Education Socialisation Confidence Emotional maturity
What is autonomy interest
Promoting development of autonomy
Respecting autonomous choices
When can a child’s autonomy be overridden?
When overriding autonomy allows them to reach autonomous adulthood and is in their best interest
BUT
As a child matures, increasing weight should be given to their autonomous choices and it is less likely that overriding their choices would be in their overall best interest
What are some of the pros of parents deciding on the child’s best interest.
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What are some of the cons of parents deciding on the child’s best interest.
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What is the parental rights argument for parental autonomy?
Parents have a right to decide on medical treatment for their children
>individually have their own personal values and beliefs
>respect for autonomy means that we should respect the personal views and values of others
>It is desirable for parents to share their values and belief system with their children
>Therefore we should not interfere with the decisions of parents provided that they’re motivated with the wellbeing of the child
What is the cons of the parental rights argument
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What are some benefits of tissue donation
Altruism
Save the life of a sibling
If sibling dies bcs there was no donor, the child may grow up believing it was their fault
What are the risks for tissue donation
Physical harm to donor with no direct medical benefit
If the transplant fails and the sibling dies, the child may grow up believing its their fault
What is an argument against children taking part in medical research
+++Even adults dont have to participate in research, its voluntary
Children do not understand altruism???+++
