This article explores how staff in Swedish secure care value and understand the rightsof the children and young people in their care. To be a staff member in secure caremeans having a professional role that includes viewing and relating to young people asindividual rights holders in a setting where care and treatment shall be provided to agroup of young people. However, this occurs in an environment characterised by strongcoercive and controlling elements. The study shows that the viewing and handling ofchildren’s rights is dependent on various trade-offs that staff make. Negotiations aboutwhat should be seen as rights frequently take place, leading to tensions regardingchildren’s status as individual rights holders. The study adds knowledge about how staffdescribe the nature of these tensions in the daily life of secure care units. Implicationsfor practice are discussed.