The most widely used indicator frameworks are typically organized by theme and life domain—such as work, environment, education, and health—without reference to the guiding principles of well-being. This fails to answer a fundamental question: What does well-being mean? This work explores a possible framework for children well-being indicators, recognizing that existing systems cannot simply be applied to young people because they reflect an inherently “adult” perspective. Redefining an indicator framework poses a communication challenge. This work proposes using the principles of biomedical ethics—Autonomy, Non-maleficence, Beneficence, and Justice (Beauchamp & Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 2019)—as a foundation. Anchoring the framework in principles conveys that it is not a sterile set of formulas and numbers, but rather a system shaped by ethical considerations, designed to empower children and guide action in their favour. Moreover, structuring indicators around principles shifts the focus to children themselves, rather than the activities they engage in or the places they inhabit. Principles are normative with respect to actions; they illuminate what should be done. Here, autonomy is interpreted as recognizing children as social subjects with rights and responsibilities. Non-maleficence implies an obligation not only to avoid harm but also to take proactive steps to prevent harm. Beneficence calls for positive contributions to children’s well-being through tailored actions that vary by age and other key characteristics. Justice demands eliminating inequalities and ensuring equal opportunities, acknowledging that birthplace and personal circumstances often predispose children to negative experiences and disadvantaged life paths. The proposed approach has been tested using UNICEF’s child-related SDG indicators. Moreover, the work considers integrating or modifying existing indicators. To inform this discussion, a textual analysis of numerous UNICEF documents has been conducted to identify relevant “lexical worlds”—clusters of concepts reflecting UNICEF’s value systems (Reinert, 1993). Six semantic classes emerged: Digital Opportunities, Institutional Systems, Difficult Lives, Troubled Places, Alliances, and Psyche—none of which align with the conventional themes of existing indicator frameworks. Based on these findings—and consistent with the principles-based framework—,new possible indicators and some methodological innovations have been hypothesized; i.e., indicators with a forward-looking perspective, such as years of adult life expected by young people with poor language and mathematical skills, that both measure disadvantages in life span and the life spent with poor cultural background. From an Open and Responsible Research and Innovation perspective, children must be consulted as stakeholders when developing indicators that affect them. Yet an imagined dialogue between a statistician and a child would likely be marked by silences and misunderstandings—their worlds seem far apart. Bioethical principles can serve as common ground for this conversation. To capture children’s perspectives on well-being, a creative, multi-level production technique has been planned, involving six phases of engagement—some individual, others group-based. The outputs include texts and images created by the children themselves, which can then be analysed in detail and summarized using statistical techniques.
