Category: Children’s Rights

Overview

“Over 100 million children around the world work in hazardous conditions in agriculture, mining, domestic labor, and other sectors” (Human Rights Watch). At those workplaces, they are often exposed to adverse environmental influences including pesticides and extreme heat. Moreover, they are frequently abused and have excess workloads which can undermine their health and hinder sound psycho-emotional and social development. For these reasons, UNICEF considers that child labor violates the basic human rights because it is considered to deprive young individuals of childhood and good education and, in this way, condemns them to “a life of poverty and want.”

Conflict of Interests

Child labor as such is against the interests of children especially if their work is not voluntary. However, without sending their children to work, some families simply cannot survive. In many developing countries where the level of poverty is high, without work, children may have even fewer opportunities for good life. They likely may end up begging or perhaps engage in crime. Thus, it is important to remember that while in the countries with the advanced economies, it may seem like a big problem, in developing regions, it is not necessarily the case.

Possible Solutions

In the situation when there is no chance to get a high-quality education, sometimes a work may help children to acquire skills necessary to succeed in the future. Some theorists also suggest that if companies hiring young individuals would provide them with educational opportunities along with reasonable salaries and safe work conditions, the ethical dilemma and the conflicts of interests linked to it could be resolved to some extent (Mojonnier). Overall, there is still no clear-cut answer to all ethical issues associated with child labor so far. However, it is possible to say that each particular case should be approached individually.

Works Cited

Human Rights Watch. “Child Labor.” HRW. Web.

Mojonnier, Tim. “When child Labor is Ethical.” Business Theory. 2012. Web.

UNICEF. “Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation, and Abuse.” UNICEF. Web.

Introduction

A child is a human being meaning that if there are rights set a side to protect human beings, children should therefore have their own rights. If children are not protected, they are likely to fall victims of exploitation and abuse of different kinds. This simply explains the reason why the United States have formed an organization known as the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Children whose role is to protect children against abuse and exploitation. The purpose of this study is to answer two questions related to children rights.

Discussion

How does cultural variation around sex and sexuality fit with United Nations Convention on the rights of the child? What are the challenges faced by UNCRC? Are there principles, or limits to the conditions for psychological intervention or programs of change?

Cultural variation portrayed by different nations in the world play a key role in protecting children against sex and sexual abuse. The implication is that cultural variation a round sex and sexuality can be integrated into the United Nations conventions on the rights of a child by the introduction of universal sexuality education to all nations. This sexuality education should focus on all aspect of child abuse.

For instance, it has been noted that sexuality education differ from one nation to another meaning that in some nations sexuality education focus on abstinence only while in others it focus on reproduction. In addition, others nations consider school as being responsible for sexuality education with parents playing just a mere role.

However, in others nations, parents play major role in sexuality education among their children. Since the United Nations convention on the rights of a child protect all children against sexual abuse and exploitation, universal sexuality education system should be established to fight cultural variations with an aim of protecting rights of children effectively. As mentioned within the context of the study, the United Nations convention on rights of a child is faced by challenges associated with cultural variations (Montgomery 84).

The other challenge facing UNCRC is that in some nation rights of children are practiced differently. For instance, sexuality education is perceived different in many nations thus creating environment in which children could not understood their rights hence being prone to abuse of various kinds. Family relations can be considered as causing both psychological and physical health to the children and should therefore be integrated into decision making about intervention.

Numerous studies have evident that homeless children are more prone to sexual abuse. The state of being homeless is a product of family relationships meaning that when the mother and father are not in good terms, children may become uncomfortable and ran a way from home thus becoming homeless (Montgomery 79).

Comments on the influence of online media on gender and sexuality for adolescents and on continuity or the lack of continuity between generations on these issues.

The technological advancement has posed threat on gender and sexuality for adolescents. For instance, through online media traditional gender roles have being eroded by emergent of equity between male and female. It is from online media that many adolescents came into the realization that all people are equal despite their differences in sex.

Online media provides fertile grounds through which young females could discover that their personalities have been exploited by traditional gender roles. They have come to understand their potential hence competing men in life. Young female have come to discover their potential of becoming the best doctors, engineers, military officers and architectures among others (Montgomery 142).

In addition, they have discovered that they have the potential to provide for their children thus neglecting the role of the husband in the family. In the other hand, online media such as internet have acted as social grounds for many adolescents. Through the use of internet, adolescents can access phonographic images that influence them sexually. This is to say that adolescents can learn numerous sexual behaviors from online media.

Some of sexual behaviors that can be learnt through online media include gay activities and lesbians activities that form the basis of homosexuality. The implication is that if adolescents are given the opportunity to access online media traditional gender roles will be replaced by modern gender roles and homosexuality will advance in the near future meaning that homosexual generation will come into existence (Montgomery 146).

Work Cited

Montgomery, Heather. An introduction to childhood: anthropological perspectives on children’s lives. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.Print.

The article discusses the extent of legal regulation of child protection in the US within the scope of three periods that are suggested by the author. The first one is from colonial times to 1875; the second – is from 1875 to 1962; the third – is from 1962 to the present. It should be noted here that the article was written in 2008, so “the present” should be referred to as this period.

Myers claims that before the increase in the numbers of nongovernmental organizations that aimed to protect children – their spread intensified in 1875 – interventions in the framework of child protection were periodical and inconsistent. Nevertheless, they took place and started operating. A child was not protected to the extent he or she was in 2008, but society knew about the maltreatments and attempted to provide help.

In 1875, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) occurred, which was the first entity in the world devoted only to child-protection affairs. By 1922, the total number of such organizations increased to 300 across the US. However, by the 1960s, most states still did not provide protection services statewide. A plethora of communities had no all-day coverage. Hence, “for the first six decades of the twentieth century, protective services in most communities were inadequate and in some places nonexistent” (Myers, 2008, p. 454).

Substantial advancement took place after the year 1962. During this period, child-protection services could be provided throughout the whole country – starting in rural areas and ending in cities. The following laws should be mentioned: the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 (CAPTA), the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), and the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (AACWA) (Myers, 2008). Such a positive shift was a significant boon for many children. Nevertheless, the spread and development of the child-protecting system caused an exact degree of crisis in this regard. In particular, the quick passing of laws required specialists to report cases of suspected abuses and neglect. These laws led to a great number of instances that overloaded the mentioned system. The result was that child-protection services had to find their way to be provided under pressure by the 1980s.

Myers concludes that even though the child-protective system still has a lot of issues, it is still a considerable advancement in comparison with the period of the 1960s. The related organizations are easy to reach across the United States, significant sums are invested in children’s welfare, and many specialists aspire to do their best to assist parents and support children. This system is available on a twenty-four-hour basis. However, society rarely hears about child-protective services’ attainments. Myers reasonably notices that evening news and magazines tend to shed light on these services’ activities only when something goes wrong (2008). For instance, when social workers take a child from a family when they should not. However, child protection is a substantially difficult affair, and constant reports on the failings undermine the public’s confidence in the described system. The reality is that this system saves the lives of many children, showing them a path to a good future.

Reference

Myers, J. E. B. (2008). A short history of child protection in America. Family Law Quarterly,42(3), 449–463.

Introduction

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is a national approach developed by the government of Scotland that aims to improve the life and wellbeing of children. It was formed due to the recognition of the fact that it is more effective to help families at the earliest stages, before they are stricken by the crisis (Scottish Government, 2016). The approach is also focused on striving to make childhood a happy period of life and to create an environment that would make young people active learners and effective contributors. The Government of Scotland set up this framework together with Christie Commission. The Commission believes that people should help in the implementation of activities created for their wellness. It also supports a preventative approach to the children that are being at risk looked after.

Part 12 of the 2014 Children and young people Act (CYPSA) formulates this approach, also describing the services that local authorities should make available (Children and young people (Scotland) Act, 2014). It also addresses children with physical disabilities and children referred to the reporter due to certain offenses. The non-statutory guidance concerning the problems of the children looked after is divided into two parts. The first part describes the legal framework, and the second part addressed the relevant services subject to the 2016 Order. Thus, the framework mostly aimed at the prevention of decreasing the quality of life of children to the extent that they should be looked after.

CYPSA

The Children and Young People Act 2014 was issued on 19 February 2014. It is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and follows the same principles (Children and young people (Scotland) Act, 2014). The Act contains 18 parts that describe different issues related to children’s rights. The document places new duties on Scottish Ministers and organizations, which guarantees its implementation. According to the Act, the commissioner for children and young people in Scotland is allowed to investigate the cases concerning the wellness of children. A structure for the integrated planning of children services is established by the Act.

Equality Act 2010 and UNCRC

UNCRC (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) is a complex framework focused on the protection of children’s rights. It covers the full range of aspects referring to the cultural, social, political, and civil rights of children, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, abilities, and other traits. In the field of equality, it has the same basis as the Equality Act 2010, which also addresses the issues of religion, gender, et cetera.

The Act aims to eliminate discrimination and advance equality between people (Equality Act 2010, 2016). In comparison to the GYRFEC, which is a national framework, UNCRC has a larger scale. It addresses, for example, such rights of every child as the right to relax and play, contained in Article 31 of the Convention, and the right to education (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1992). It also describes the rights not only of the children who are at risk of being looked after, but of every child. The act focuses on the children which are at risk of looking after. It defines the responsibilities of local authorities concerning this issue. It also addresses the Named Person, who should look after the child’s wellness until they turn 18 years old.

Equality Act 2010

Equality Act 2010 contains 16 parts, several of which are dedicated to the issues of education. In the sphere of education, children should be equal, regardless of their ancestry and social status. Part 6 of the Act consists of four chapters: “Schools”, “Further and Higher Education”, “General Qualifications Bodies”, and “Miscellanous”. Thus, the chapters are addressed to the different levels of education and children and young people of different ages. Chapter 6 addresses the harassment and discrimination of the pupils by the administration of educational facilities. It also regards the issues of pupils’ and students’ victimization, which should be excluded. The students should be allowed to use the training facilities of their schools and colleges.

Conclusion

The two frameworks analyzed in this paper refer to the well-being of children. The first one, a Scottish framework called “Getting it Right for Every Child”, is focused on the national problem of the children who are at risk of looking after. It slightly considers the themes of disabled children, being focused mostly on the social factors that lead the child to being looked after. This framework is connected with the GIRFEC approach, which aims to provide a better childhood for Scottish children. As for the second framework, UNCRC, it is more global, as it aims to address the full spectrum of issues related to children’s rights. It is based on Equality Act 2010, which is also a profound document that is concentrated on the themes of equality. This document is more global and universal in comparison with the Scottish Act, as it refers to the problems which are important for the children of all ancestries, genders, religions, et cetera.

Reference List

Children and young people (Scotland) Act(2014). Web.

Equity Act 2010: guidance (2015). Web.

Scottish Government (2016). Children and young people (Scotland) Act 2014: National guidance on Part 12: Services in relation to children at risk of becoming looked after, etc.

UNICEF (1992). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Web.

Right to school

I do not agree with the author that we should do away with the mandatory school attendance system. Roger Sipher argues that there is a crisis in the education sector since the present mandatory attendance laws force many children to attend school, but given a chance would not attend school. The United Nations Convention on children’s rights recognizes education as one of the basic rights a child should enjoy. Since children are not able to make sound judgments, this role is bestowed on the parents or guardians. There is no choice of attending or not attending school, all children must attend classes as per the stipulated schedule. The importance of routine attendance can not be underscored for it hold the future, not only that of the child but for the whole country. One clear thing is that children need guidance; there are issues that they should not be given a choice since they might not make informed choices. Attending school is for their benefit, we should be emphasizing how to take every child in school but not on how we make laws that will keep some students out of class.

Attendance

According to Roger Sipher, compulsory attendance does not increase the number of children in school since schools cannot implement this law. What the writer fails to understand is that the law is a deterrent and this reduces instances of absconding school, what should be done is to enforce these laws to ensure maximum compliance; still, it is the government that is charged with the responsibility of enforcing laws, not schools as the writer had suggested. Roger Sipher makes an argument that the correlation between compulsory attendance regulation has had little statistical changes on the numbers attending classes. This is one statement that I would like to refute since those parents who hold the same arguments as the writer are compelled by the law to take their children to school and hence it has helped maintain high levels of school attendance. The writer takes an argument that it is not possible to give everybody an education, where he misses the point is in his assertion that we take that loophole to justify the relaxation of the rules which will see more students out of class. It should be noted that on top of providing basic education, schools play a big role in socializing students into human beings that can fit in a mixed society, this is an institution that helps impart some basic knowledge that helps human beings survive in a society.

Discipline

Sipher asserts that indisciplined students show little value for education and hence no need to force them to class. The writer wants to justify why we should do away with some of the rules, he takes an apathetic approach on this matter seeming to condemn this lot of students. One thing the writer should put into consideration is the fact that deviant behaviors can be eliminated if there are concerted efforts to revise this vice, with proper guidance and counseling such wayward students can revert to serious learning. If the writer’s arguments were to be put in law, there would be a sharp decrease in quality of education as well as an increase in semi illiteracy; the spillover problem would be immense as it could spill to generations. A child, who attended school as an option when young, might not get the need to put a child in full-time class when they grow up. Such a scenario might be repeated into generations condemning some families into a precarious situation due to lack of education.

Attendance option

Sipher argues on the fact that there are many reluctant children in schools, who only do it due to existing regulations. It would be amoral to associate students’ resistance to attending school with the system. The parents must hammer to the students the importance of attending school and attaining good grades. If parents understand and appreciate the value of education, there should be no problem with their children attending school regularly. Freedom comes with responsibility, and these students are not responsible enough to be let alone to chat their academic ways forward.

Works Cited

United Nations. Children’s rights. 1995. Web.

Sipher Roger. So that nobody has to go t school if they don’t want to. 2010. Web.