Children are frequently left out of social policy and its analysis. In the specific area of child protection policy, even though by definition it appears to be child oriented, adultist perspectives dominate. Children are rarely involved in defining areas of concern or in contributing in a meaningful way to decision making on issues concerning their own welfare. The dominance of the adultist perspective in decision making about children has been reinforced by the social sciences. In the theories underpinning developmental psychology and socialisation an ideology can be identified which has influenced a particular understanding of childhood. The assumptions underlying this ideology are analysed in relation to their implications for social attitudes to children. The consequent structural positioning of children as a marginalised and regulated group is discussed. Current challenges to this construction of childhood have developed from an awareness that different meanings have been attributed to childhood over time and space, and that children's agency is a significant factor to take into consideration in policy making. An emerging paradigm for studying and knowing about children is outlined, based on recognition of the importance of policy recipients being primary informants on issues concerning them. The implications of such a paradigm for child protection policy and for more general social policy is examined. (Author abstract)