Decisional privacy offers individuals the freedom to act and to make important decisions about how they live their lives, without unjustifiable interference from other individuals or the state. Children's perceived vulnerability, incapacity for rational decision-making and dependence on adults have been used to justify depriving children of decisional privacy rights and subjecting them to the exercise of adult power over the conditions of their lives. The aim of this paper is to articulate a theory of children's decisional privacy. It is argued that decisional privacy is valued as a condition that enables individual autonomy. A relational, gradual conception of autonomy is advanced, to explain how children can be recognised as having the capacity for autonomy, and in some circumstances, actual autonomy. This paper presents four fundamental principles of a children's rights approach to decisional privacy, which collectively serve to enhance children's meaningful participation in decision-making about their best interests, consistently with children's evolving capacities and the receipt of appropriate parental direction and guidance. The theory developed in this paper presents an opportunity for adult decision-makers to reflect upon how they make decisions for and about children, and how children can play a meaningful role in those decision-making processes.

中文翻译：

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儿童决策隐私理论

决策性隐私为个人提供行动的自由，并为他们的生活做出重要决定，而不受其他个人或国家的无理干涉。儿童感知到的脆弱性、理性决策的无能和对成人的依赖已被用来证明剥夺儿童的决定性隐私权和让他们在生活条件下行使成人权力是正当的。本文的目的是阐明儿童决策隐私的理论。有人认为，决策隐私被视为实现个人自主权的条件。提出了一种相关的、渐进的自主概念，以解释如何能够承认儿童具有自主能力，在某些情况下，具有实际自主能力。本文介绍了儿童对决策隐私的权利方法的四个基本原则，这些原则共同有助于增强儿童有意义地参与有关其最大利益的决策，与儿童不断发展的能力和接受适当的父母指导和指导相一致。本文提出的理论为成人决策者提供了一个机会，让他们反思他们如何为儿童做出决定，以及儿童如何在这些决策过程中发挥有意义的作用。s 不断发展的能力和接受适当的父母指导和指导。本文提出的理论为成人决策者提供了一个机会，让他们反思他们如何为儿童做出决定，以及儿童如何在这些决策过程中发挥有意义的作用。s 不断发展的能力和接受适当的父母指导和指导。本文提出的理论为成人决策者提供了一个机会，让他们反思他们如何为儿童做出决定，以及儿童如何在这些决策过程中发挥有意义的作用。