CHILD PROTECTION

CHILD

• A child is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or

between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal
definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person
younger than the age of majority. Children generally have fewer rights and
responsibilities than adults. They are classed as unable to make serious
decisions.
 CHILD PROTECTION

• Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence,

exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the
home. One of the ways to ensure this is by giving them quality education,
the fourth of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in
addition to other child protection systems.
 ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS

• Child labour

Due to economic reasons, especially in poor countries, children are forced to work in
order to survive. Child labour often happens in difficult conditions, which are
dangerous and impair the education of the future citizens and increase vulnerability to
adults. It is hard to know exactly the age and number of children who work. At least
152 million children under 5 years of age worked in 2016, but the figure is
underestimated because domestic labour is not counted.
 Gender based vilence
• Gender-based violence (GBV) is the most pervasive yet least
visible human rights violation in the world. It includes
physical, sexual, mental or economic harm inflicted on a
person because of socially ascribed power imbalances between
males and females. It also includes the threat of violence,
coercion and deprivation of liberty, whether in public or
private.
• In all societies, women and girls have less power than men – over their
bodies, decisions and resources. Social norms that condone men’s use of
violence as a form of discipline and control reinforce gender inequality and
perpetuate gender-based violence. Across the globe, women and girls –
especially adolescents – face the greatest risk.
• Gender-based violence takes numerous forms: Intimate partner violence,
sexual violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, trafficking for
sexual exploitation, female infanticide, and ‘honour’ crimes are common –
with intimate partner violence occurring at staggering rates in every
country. Girls and women may also experience gender-based violence
when they are deprived of nutrition and education.
 Endangerment and infanticide

• in some countries, children can be imprisoned for common crimes. In some countries, like Iran

or China, criminals can even be sentenced to capital punishment for crimes committed while

they were children (the United States abandoned the practice in 2005). In contexts where

military use of children is made, they also risk being prisoners of war. Other children are

forced to prostitution, exploited by adults for illegal traffic in children or endangered by

poverty and hunger. Infanticide today continues at a much higher rate in areas of extremely

high poverty and overpopulation, such as parts of China and India. Female infants, then and

even now, are particularly vulnerable, a factor in sex-selective infanticide.

 FAMILY SEPARATION DURING CRISIS

• All children have the right to grow up with their families. Children in family
environments are generally safer and better cared for, yet violent conflicts, natural
disasters and other crises force thousands of girls and boys from their parents and
caregivers each year.
• Some children are separated from their families during the chaos of a humanitarian
emergency. Others may be pulled away by parties involved in a violent conflict.
• Children may be separated from their families for hours, days, months –
even years. Those who receive early support in tracing their relatives are more
likely to be reunified faster. 
• However they are separated, children suffer indescribable stress when split from
their loved ones. Separation undermines children’s mental health, physical health
and development. What’s more, it leaves them vulnerable to violence, exploitation
and abuse.
• Without knowing whom to trust, where to turn for help, or when they may be
reunited, children can endure extreme fear and confusion. Those who face long-
term separation may also miss out on education and proper medical care – essential
to help them cope with distress. 
 CHILD MARRIAGE

• Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child
under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.

• Child marriage robs girls of their childhood and threatens their well-being. Girls
who marry before 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence and less
likely to remain in school. They have worse economic and health outcomes than
their unmarried peers, which are eventually passed down to their own children,
further straining a country’s capacity to provide quality health and education
services.
female genital mutilation

• Despite being internationally recognized as a human rights violation, female genital mutilation
(FGM) has been performed on at least 200 million girls and women across the
globe. Numerous factors contribute to the prevalence of the practice. Yet in every society in
which it occurs, FGM is a manifestation of entrenched gender inequality. FGM can lead to
serious health complications and even death.
 Child abuse

• Most children who come to the attention of the child welfare system do so,
because of any of the following situations, which are often collectively
termed child abuse. Abuse typically involves abuse of power, or exercising
power for an unintended purpose[citation needed]. This includes willful
neglect, knowingly not exercising a power for the purpose it was intended.
This is why child abuse is defined as taking advantage of a position of trust
having been invested with powers.
• Physical abuse, is physical assault or battery on the child. Whilst an assault has some adverse

consequence that the victim did not agree to (the difference between surgery and stabbing) the

victim agrees to the consequences of battery but the agreement is fraudulent in some way (e.g.

unnecessary surgery under false pretences). Physical abuse also harassment, a physical presence

intended to provoke fear.

• Child sexual abuse, is sexual assault or battery on the child. The vast majority of physical assaults

are a reaction to a situation involving a specific victim. Sexual assault is predominantly perpetrator

gratification against any suitable target. Sexual abuse covers the range of direct and indirect assaults

(e.g. imagery) and the means of facilitation such as stalking and internet offences.

• Neglect, including failure to take adequate measures to safeguard a child from harm, and gross

negligence in providing for a child's basic needs. Needs are the actions to be taken to protect and

provide for the child. Safeguarding is the duty of a person given the powers of responsibility for the

child to take the necessary measures to protect the child. If a child is physically or sexually abused

then there is an (abusive) person responsible for the assault and a (negligent) person responsible for

failing to protect from the assault. In some cases they may be the same.
• Psychological abuse, when meeting the child's needs by taking the
necessary steps to protect and provide for the child the child's wishes and
feelings must be considered when deciding on delivery of the provision
that best serves the child's needs. Willfully failing to provide in accordance
with the child's wishes and feelings, whilst it is in his/her best interests is
emotional abuse (intentional infliction of emotional distress) or negligently
is emotional neglect.
 PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

• many countries around the world, operates a wide variety of systems and safeguards to protect children

from harm and abuse. To protect children from harm outside of their home life, the government use a wide

variety of policy, regulations, guidance and best practice. This includes, but is not limited to:

• The regulation of products or services by age restriction such as, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, driving,

movie certification, game certification etc.

• Criminilising specific harm to children, or providing for harsher punishments within sentencing guidelines

when a child is the victim.

• Criminilising harm to children through exploitation, trafficking or modern slavery.

• Prohibiting unfair employment practices and placing restrictions on child labour.

• putting in place measures and checks ensuring individuals convicted of crimes against children are not able

to work in roles where children would be placed at risk such as Teachers, Police Officers or Social

Workers.

• Mandating compulsory education for children over 5.

 STRENGTHENING THE SOCIAL SERVICE WORKFORCE TO
PROTECT CHILDREN
• Social service workers are on the frontlines for children at risk of violence, abuse,
discrimination and poverty .
• Social service workers are often the first line of response for children in harm's
way.
• Working closely with children and families, they identify and manage risks that
children may be exposed to at home and elsewhere, especially those related to
violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination and poverty. Social service
workers promote children’s physical and psychological well-being by connecting
them with critical social services – like health care, education and social protection
– and by challenging harmful norms that violate a child’s rights.
• One of the most important elements of a well-functioning child protection system is
a qualified social service workforce – one that consists of both government and
non-governmental professionals and para-professionals.

• But in too many places, the social service workforce is often under-resourced,
lacking the financial, and sometimes political, support to protect children and their
families. In the absence of well-equipped social service workers, the laws, policies
and programmes that governments establish to protect children risk being
undermined.
in 2014, caregiver Mamie Harris and 18-month-old Agnes meet with a social service worker at a UNICEF-supported centre
in Liberia that provides psychosocial care for children who have survived Ebola virus disease.