One of the ideas that Golding wanted to explore in his writing of the novel was the way that children would respond to being isolated and without adult influence and the rule of law and order and authority. As the "civilization" of the island begins to break down and more and more boys give themselves up to Jack and his hunters, Piggy and Ralph lament the changes and worry that they will never be able to work things out. Ralph in particular feels that he has failed but he doesn't quite know why or even what exactly he failed at.
Repeatedly in the novel he worries that something is eluding him, he wishes that he could think like Piggy. So in some ways Ralph stands as an argument that kids can in fact see but do not comprehend.
Jack, on the other hand, sees the fear in the boys and understands that he can manipulated it to gain more power. He understands that he can channel that fear into the hunt and to try and keep it away by "having fun." So in his case, perhaps it is an example that children can comprehend what is happening on a deeper level.
Ralph too, at the end of the story, weeps for the innocence that was lost. So I would argue that there is a comprehension. Combine Ralph's realization with the way that Piggy saw and understood things about the island and Simon's ability to understand that the beast was inside the boys and I think the book makes a significant argument that children do comprehend, not just see.
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