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The Cult of the Child: A Critical Examination of Its Consequences on Parents, Teachers and Children

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  • Serge Dupont

    (Department of Psychology, 10 Place Cardinal Mercier, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
    Deparment of Pedagogy, Haute École Galilée, Rue Royale 336, 1030 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Moïra Mikolajczak

    (Department of Psychology, 10 Place Cardinal Mercier, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Isabelle Roskam

    (Department of Psychology, 10 Place Cardinal Mercier, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Abstract

The concept of the “cult of the child” highlights a radical change in child representation. Having been neglected and even disrespected for centuries, children are now valued, and their interests are placed above all others. This change in views of children, reflected in changes in laws, institutions and practices, has also spread to two pillars of our democratic societies, the family and the school, with a number of consequences for parents, teachers and children. The purpose of this article is to (1) describe the changes in thinking that have led to the cult of the child, (2) examine their consequences for children and parents, (3) examine their consequences for students and teachers, and (4) reflect on how to preserve the benefits of these changes while limiting the negative consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Serge Dupont & Moïra Mikolajczak & Isabelle Roskam, 2022. "The Cult of the Child: A Critical Examination of Its Consequences on Parents, Teachers and Children," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:3:p:141-:d:775936
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Twenge, Jean M. & Campbell, W. Keith & Sherman, Ryne A., 2019. "Declines in vocabulary among American adults within levels of educational attainment, 1974–2016," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Schwerdt, Guido & Wuppermann, Amelie C., 2011. "Sage on the stage: Is lecturing really all that bad?," Munich Reprints in Economics 19918, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    3. Lubhana Malik Mental, 2019. "Mental Health in Adolescents," Global Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(3), pages 45-46, March.
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    Cited by:

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