Five principles are suggested that are shared with human rights initiatives in general and that have driven contemporary children's rights movements. The international movement to articulate children's specific human rights is also discussed, including the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implications for children's rights in the United States. Consideration is paid to the development of a special language of children's rights in the context of needs-based and capacity-based perspectives, children's rights in historical and legal context, the U.S. Supreme Court as a referee of family rights (due process and equal protection), and the current status of children in the U.S. legal system. Principles that guide human rights initiatives in general and that have specific implications for children are noted--equality, individualism, empowerment, protection, and privacy principles. A child-centered analysis of human rights principles is presented. 73 endnotes