Youth rights refers to a set of philosophies intended to enhance civil rights for young people. As opposed to the so-called "children's rights" groups, which tend to advocate entitlements for young people and favor paternalistic handling of minors by government, youth rights organizers seek to enhance the role of young people in society through equal rights. They reject what they see as paternalism, which they believe is a hindrance to young people who seek active participation in society.

The "youth rights movement" also described as "youth liberation," is a nascent grass-roots movement whose aim is to fight against ageism (also known as adultism or adult chauvinism) and for the civil rights of persons "under the age of majority"-- 18 in most countries.

These philosophies were espoused by John Caldwell Holt and others who have come to view society's treatment of children as hypocritical and anachronistic.

History

Like many other civil rights movements that emerged during the 1970s, such as women's rights, youth rights emerged from the activism of the anti-war movement and civil rights movement of the 1960s, as existing power dynamics in society were given closer examination.

Early successes of the movement such as lowering the voting age to 18 in 1971, and the lowering of other age restrictions on the state level such as lowering the drinking age occurred in the early to mid 70s. It wasn't until 1974 however that the movement was first defined explicitly in print following the publication of "Escape from Childhood" by John Holt and "Birthrights" by Richard Farson. These books mark the earliest, and most widely read "manifestos" of youth liberation philosophy. Together with perhaps the first and best known youth rights group, Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor, the movement began to spark discussions around the country and the world about the status of youth in society.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Youth Liberation faced a backlash and morphed into a more protectionist-oriented children's rights movement. Youth rights is different from children's rights, and the two movements are sometimes at odds with each other. The children's rights movement advocates changes that are often restrictive, ageist, and paternalistic, that is, done for children rather than by children.

While great strides were made by children's rights groups in combating child abuse during the 80s, great harm was done to the notion of self-determination and equal rights that formed the backbone of the youth rights movement in the 1970s. A comparison of 1970s youth liberation literature and child rights literature from groups such as the Children's Defense Fund demonstrate a clear distinction.

In the mid-1990s, a youth led movement for self-determination rights began on the Internet. This reborn Youth Rights movement coalesced in 1996 into Americans for a Society Free from Age Restrictions (ASFAR). Divisions soon emerged between radicals and moderates within ASFAR leading to the formation in 1998 of the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA). NYRA, founded by leaders of ASFAR and YouthSpeak, was founded to professionalize the youth rights movement.

Today, the youth rights movement is led largely by NYRA and its leadership, including their president, Scott Davidson, and their executive director, Alex Koroknay-Palicz.