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El objetivo del estudio que se informa fue caracterizar los cambios, características y propiedades de la comprensión de niños de 8 a 12 años de edad sobre lo que es un derecho y de lo que es su derecho a la privacidad. Se utilizó una entrevista basada en una historieta y un dilema de reflexión en situaciones típicas de la cotidianidad infantil en las cuales se ve comprometido su derecho a la privacidad. Se les pidió a los niños que expresaran su punto de vista al respecto, ampliamente y sin ningún tipo de prejuicio. Las respuestas se sometieron al análisis de contenido en aquellos casos en que la entrevista se completó adecuadamente. Los resultados permiten inferir dos períodos etarios diferentes en la comprensión infantil de este derecho con características propias en estructura de pensamiento, contenido y función así: en el primero (8-11años) el niño piensa que el adulto es quien debe ordenar y decidir lo que él debe revelar, el niño se ve a sí mismo sujeto al adulto y depende de su aprobación pues lo ve su- perior a él en edad, saber, capacidad, tamaño. En el segundo período (11-12 años) los niños son conscientes de una incipiente intimidad propia y creen que deben resguardarla de los demás, cuya intromisión vieron como moralmente mala. En este período se observa un pensamiento más moralista y personalista, menos egocentrista e instrumental que el pensamiento del período anterior.
El desarrollo cognitivo-afectivo del niño es crucial en su comprensión de su derecho a la privacidad.
The objective of this study was to characterize the changes, characteristics and properties of the understandings of children between 8 and 12 years of age about what is a right and what is their right to privacy. We used the interview based on a story and a dilemma of reflection in several situations typical of children's daily life in which the right to privacy of children is compromised, asking them in each case to express their point of view broadly and without any prejudice on the part of the interviewer. Responses were submitted to content analysis in cases where the interview was completed properly. The results allow us to infer two different age periodsin children's understanding of thisright with their own characteristicsin structure of thought, content and function: In the first (8-11 years) the child thinksthat the adult isthe one who must order and decide what he must reveal, the child sees himself subject to the adult and dependent on his approval because the latter is superior to him in age, knowledge, ability, size.
They understand the right to privacy in function of the rewards or punishments they received when talk too much or reveal strategic information kept saved. A right is a public habit practiced in everyday life or in public and private life. The children begin to distinguish between public or private issues. Also, they understand that unwise revelation must be punished. They understand in this period that there is a limit between ‘myself’and ‘the other’, between ‘inside people’ and ‘out of people’. Finally the children in this period feel dependence from adults because of their force,size, skills, and wisdom. Besides, they provide what children need: education, health, feeding, and protection. In the second period (11-12 years) children are aware of an incipient intimacy of their own and believe that they must protect it from others, whose intrusion they see as morally bad.
There is a more moralized and personalized thought, less egocentric and instrumental than the thought of the previous period. As well, an idea of justice is use to understand the privacy and their right to privacy. An idea about limit between ‘myself” and ‘other’isstrongly marked for theirselves benefits. They like to meddle in other’s lives but condemn others in their issues, but a beginning understanding of interpersonal limits is breaking through. The discussions with elders are now very frequently. In this period the adults are understand like ones responsible in the breeding and they are wise about concealed because they have an wide perspective of life which empower them to decide on children life things. The idea about ‘the right’is not associated with the idea of dignity of person, which is related to self-identity yet. In conclusion, there are different properties in the content and structure of thoughts in the mind of children in every one of the periods. There is found a special role for the privacy in the idea about themselvesin children, when they are discovering their uniqueness.
In these periods it is not achieved. The children behave by identification with adults through observation, imitation and looking for approval.
They expect the judgment of adults about what is shut up or told and when, where and who to do it. They don’t understand at all, why something are revealed or not because they don’t understand the consequences for people, the interests in the human relationships and how they influence in the lives of people, however, they get understanding it in a small scale in their games with classmates, brothers and sisters.
