Session 2: Children

Question 1

What are the arguments for respecting children’s choices?

Answer 1

>

Question 2

What are the arguments against respecting children’s choices

Answer 2

-

Question 3

What are the key factors in determining best interest in children

Answer 3

-

Question 4

How does value diversity lead to differing conceptions of best interests in children

Answer 4

-

Question 5

For an autonomous choice, what does a child need?

Answer 5

> Understand information
Be able to formulate values in order to weight up information
Be able to make a decision without feeling undue influence

Question 6

When will children usually meet the criteria for autonomous decision making?

Answer 6

8-15 years

Question 7

What are the problems with children’s choices?

Answer 7

> 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?

Question 8

What does the prefrontal cortex do?

Answer 8

Planning and reasoning

Inhibitory control

Question 9

When is the prefrontal cortex functional and when does it fully develop

Answer 9

Functional by 4, developed by around 16

Question 10

What are the three components of best interests?

Answer 10

Basic
Developmental
Autonomy

Question 11

What is basic interest

Answer 11

Promotion of physical emotional care and wellbeing

Question 12

What is developmental interest

Answer 12

Promotion of a child’s development
Education 
Socialisation
Confidence
Emotional maturity

Question 13

What is autonomy interest

Answer 13

Promoting development of autonomy

Respecting autonomous choices

Question 14

When can a child’s autonomy be overridden?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What are some of the pros of parents deciding on the child’s best interest.

Answer 15

++++++

Question 16

What are some of the cons of parents deciding on the child’s best interest.

Answer 16

+++++

Question 17

What is the parental rights argument for parental autonomy?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What is the cons of the parental rights argument

Answer 18

+++=

Question 19

What are some benefits of tissue donation

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What are the risks for tissue donation

Answer 20

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

Question 21

What is an argument against children taking part in medical research

Answer 21

+++Even adults dont have to participate in research, its voluntary
Children do not understand altruism???+++