Children's Rights in Central and Eastern Europe

This open access book presents a thorough, multidisciplinary examination of children’s rights in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with a focus on Lithuania. Pursuing a comparative approach, it explores various aspects of children’s rights as established in constitutional, civil, administrative and criminal law in the region, while also discussing emerging issues. The book shares unique insights into the challenges and progress specific to individual CEE countries, many of which have undergone significant political, social, and legal transformations in recent decades.
The comparative analysis of practices and legal frameworks between Lithuania and other countries in the region and across various CEE countries is a key feature of the book. By comparing practices, case law and legal regulations across different CEE countries, it highlights both the diversity and the common challenges in the region. Moreover, such a comparative perspective is invaluable for policymakers, practitioners, and academics in terms of identifying best practices and learning from different countries’ experiences. The respective chapters offer evidence-based insights and recommendations to guide the development of more effective and rights-based approaches to child protection.
While aiming to enhance awareness and understanding of children’s rights, the book also seeks to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on the CEE region, an area often underrepresented and overlooked in global discussions on children’s rights. Bringing together a wide range of theoretical and empirical research from Lithuania and other CEE countries, it features contributions by researchers from the Baltic states, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania to provide a more holistic understanding of the challenges and advances in children’s rights in the CEE region.