Mapping the Child’s Grey Interior:Authenticity of Plague Narrative in The Great Plague

The Great Plague:The Diary of Alice Paynton,London 1665-1666 adopts the realistic painting style and direct writing to the painful experience,describes the situation of the Great Plague in London truly from the perspective of children,and breaks people’s cognitive expectation of children’s literature,the construction of children’s Gray inner world is completed behind the true description of the Great Plague in London with the true brushwork,which presents a different world of childlike innocence.Despite the importance of epidemics writing in literature,the child’s diary perspective of them is one of the least developed of Plague Narrative.Only when authenticity and the child’s grey interior are integrated will we reveal a true picture of society as it was.

Procedural Transition in the Principle of the Best Interests of the Child in the Eyes of the European Court of Human Rights

The principle of the best interests of the child,as a criterion for substantive review,is conceptually ambiguous and uncertain in its application.To mitigate this dilemma in the application of the principle of the best interests of the child,the European Court of Human Rights(ECHR)has made a procedural transition in the interpretation and application of this principle,shifting from conducting specific proportionality analysis or interests balancing in cases related to children to examining whether States Parties have applied the principle of the best interests of the child in their judicial procedures.Moreover,ECHR has developed three procedural review schemes:holistic reviews,key factors-based reviews and factor list-based reviews.Compared with substantive reviews,procedural reviews adhere to the ECHR doctrine of margin of appreciation,restrict the free discretion of the court,give play to the effect of procedural autonomy,and pursue the value of subjective procedural justice,which has its own unique theoretical value and practical significance,and provides a feasible reference for China to interpret and apply the principle of the best interests of the child.

A Judicial Empirical Study on the Principle of “the Best Interests of the Child”——From the Principles of National Conventions to the Building of Adjudication Norms

“The best interests of the child”is an essential principle of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.Due to the abstractness and ambiguity of this principle,its application is inevitably subject to the judge’s personality.Through empirical analysis,we can find that the judicial documents invoking the principle of“the best interests of the child”by Chinese courts show a significant increase in the number of disputes,types of disputes,and pronounced regional characteristics.The application of this principle by the courts is highly consistent with the judicial interpretative documents issued by the Supreme People’s Court.The invocation of this principle plays the role of interpreting the provisions of the law,the value basis for discretion,and the value orientation for shaping new rules in adjudication.At the same time,it is plagued by a lack of guidelines for the application of principles,invocations that serve the will of judges,and imperfect thinking in weighing the various factors involved.The application of this principle should be improved by setting normative standards for the principle of“the best interests of the child”,increasing case guidance for invoking the principle,and enhancing the professionalism of judges.

Country Report on the Child Development in China, 2003-2004

EDITOR'S NOTE: The National Working Committee for Children and Women (NWCCW) issued a national report on child development on May 27. The three-chapter report discusses the policies adopted and actions taken by the government to protect the legitimate rights and interests of children in the last few years. It also illustrates the improvements and progress made in children's health and education, and pinpoints the problems and future challenges facing the nation on child development issues. The full text of the report follows:

Does Sparing the Rod Spoil the Child?

In current society where most parents praise children, a father who claims that frequent criticisms and beatings help make his children suc- cessful, has captured the public＇s attention. Xiao Baiyou, a 47-year-old Hong Kong businessman, explains his parenting approach in his book That＇s Why They Go to Peking University, which has stirred controversy over his parenting methods since its publication release in June.