Investigating the Influence of Election Debates on Children’s Political Engagement: A Case Study of the Dutch Parliamentary Elections

ABSTRACT For a healthy democracy, it is essential that children are introduced to democratic principles from an early age and are encouraged to engage in political activities in ways appropriate to their age and understanding. Yet, research on the role of media in promoting children's political engagement remains scarce. This study examines to what extent televised election debates affect children's political engagement. In anticipation of the Dutch parliamentary elections in fall 2023, the Dutch children's news broadcaster NOS Jeugdjournaal aired an election debate specifically for children, featuring six party leaders. In a within‐subject experiment, 133 children (8–12 years old) participated and completed a questionnaire before and after watching the debate. Results show an agenda‐setting effect: children rated topics discussed during the debate as more important afterward, and as more important than undiscussed topics. Furthermore, children's attitudes toward the featured politicians became more positive after the debate. No significant effects were found for other aspects of political engagement: political knowledge, accuracy of party policy positions, political interest, internal efficacy and trust. Future research should further examine both the content of political programming for children and the broader role of media in fostering young people's democratic engagement.