ABSTRACT
This paper critically examines how civil society organisations (CSOs), particularly development and humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs), shape children’s and young people’s activism as represented in the scholarly literature. Drawing on a transdisciplinary literature review informed by reflexive professional insights, the paper addresses the question: How do CSOs shape the systems, discourses, and practices that underpin child and youth activism? Through a thematic synthesis of international scholarship, the paper identifies persistent tensions in CSO-mediated activism, including the depoliticisation of participation, adult-centric governance of activism spaces, and the privileging of institutionally legible forms of engagement. The analysis highlights three interrelated areas for strengthening praxis. First, it underscores the need to foster critical consciousness and political education within activism initiatives, challenging apolitical and neoliberal framings of participation. Second, it emphasises the importance of developing structural and relational tools that support intergenerational, intersectional, emotional, and reflexive practice. Third, it calls for centring children’s and young people’s perspectives by supporting peer-based political socialisation and collective forms of leadership. By synthesising critical debates across childhood studies, youth activism, and civil society scholarship, this paper contributes to understanding how CSOs can move beyond tokenistic participation toward more equitable and transformative approaches to child and youth activism.