The Human Rights Series 1 :The Rights of the Child

Children’s rights are a division of human rights which is related to the special protection and care to the children. Every child has the right to children’s rights regardless of their nationality, culture, gender, age, religion, physical disabilities etc. children are neither a property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of Charity. They are subjected to their own rights. Many people around the globe do not know that the children have rights. The United Nations General Assembly adopted United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child (civil, political economic, health, social and cultural rights of the children. Children’s rights includes, 

- The right to life

- The right to freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

-The right to association with both parents,

- Basic needs and human dignity,

- Physical protection,

- The right to education,

- Protection of civil rights and healthcare rights,

- Freedom from discrimination (on the basis of gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation)

Child abuse can be in the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. It includes any act or failure to act by a parent or other caregiver that result in potential harm to a child. It can occur in child’s home, organizations, schools or communities that the child interacts with. Child maltreatment includes all forms of child abuse and neglect. That means, child abuse can be divided into two: abuse and neglect. As it has mentioned by WHO, all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, commercial or other exploitation that is possible to harm to child’s health, survival and development can be identified as forms of child abuse. 

Intentional use of physical force cause harm for the child’s health, survival and development. Hitting, beating, kicking, shaking, biting, scolding, burning, poisoning are some of the forms of physical abuse. Most of the time, physical punishments happen in the home in the form of punishment. 

Sexual abuse is another form of child abuse. In this form of abuse, adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Several forms of child sexual abuse can be identified. Asking a child to engage in sexual activities, indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, physical contact with the child’s genitals and selling sexual services of children are some of the forms of child sexual abuse. Guilt, self-blame, fear of things associated with abuse (objects, doctor visits, places, and smells), flashbacks, nightmares, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety/ depression, personality disorders may occur as the results of such abuses. 

There is also psychological/ emotional abuse, in the forms of loud yelling, rude attitude towards the child, lack attention towards the child, harsh criticism, and torture are some of the ways of psychological abuse. 

Neglecting is another form of abuse which can be defined as a failure of a parent or a caregiver with the responsibility of the child or with providing basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, medical care and security). The absence of a parent or a guardian is identified as a supervisory neglect. Failure to provide basic physical requirements is considered as a physical neglect. Lack of providing healthcare is the medical neglect. Lack of encouragement and support can be defined as emotional neglect. And also there is educational Neglect. If the parent or the guardian leaves a child alone for a long time without a babysitter, then it is defined as abandonment.

 There are many reasons for identifying children’s rights as a separate human rights convention. Some of them can be listed as following. 

- They are special type of individuals

- Children start their life as completely dependent beings

- The actions taken by the authorities’ impact children more powerfully than any other group

-The changes of the society affects as a negative impact for children

Adults have a special responsibility which binds them to protect child rights. For that, apply a child rights lens to your day-to-day life. 

References

https://www.un.org/en/

https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx