Raising Voices in the Face of Challenges: Self-Advocacy Among School-Age Ukrainian Young Migrants in Poznań

Abstract

Based on preliminary results from ethnographic interviews, group discussions and participant observation, this article aims to examine how Ukrainian children and adolescents attending schools in Poznań develop their self-advocacy skills through linguistic practices, including storytelling and creative social media projects. Rooted in children’s rights, self-advocacy is defined as the ability to actively express one’s needs, opinions and rights. This concept frames children as active agents in social processes, vital for their development and for counteracting peer-violence, including hate speech and bullying. Key research questions include: How do children with migration background construct their identity and present themselves in a new social context? How does this process affect the dynamics of relationships between children and adults in schools? Data from the ethnographic research are analysed within the framework of social identity. The study findings provide key insights into the challenges faced by migrant children in their efforts to integrate into the school community and provide information on educational strategies to support an inclusive environment in educational settings. Enhancing self-advocacy skills among children, especially those with a migration background, boosts their self-esteem, promotes conflict resolution and serves as a tool to mitigate aggression in schools.