Children’s participation has been defined as ‘the process by which children and young people have active involvement and real influence in decision-making on matters affecting their lives, both directly and indirectly’. Children’s participation can relate to decision-making about their own lives and circumstances (individual participation) or to the issues affecting a group of children and young people (collective participation).

This study focuses on collective participation, which is defined by Seim and Slettebø as ‘the goal of improving services for everyone in the same situation’.