Children’s rights are legal protections for minors, often different from adults, and vary worldwide. Children are viewed as vulnerable and less responsible, with basic needs the responsibility of adults. Prohibitions include child labor and prostitution, while activists question inconsistencies in regulating minors without giving them a say.
A child’s rights refer to the legal protections afforded by a government to protect the safety, survival, and civil liberties of minors of legal age. The rights of a child are often different from the rights of an adult; some grant more extensive protections while others prohibit activities deemed beyond a child’s level of responsibility. Children’s rights vary widely around the world; many humanitarian groups focus solely on promoting the improvement of this segment of protection in regions that are considered to lack adequate provisions.
Children are generally legally distinguished from adults in two main ways: they are viewed as more vulnerable to harm and are usually perceived as having less capacity for responsibility. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t children who are tough as nails, or more responsible or rational than adults; from a legal point of view, experts believe that these two general assumptions create the most comprehensive package of children’s rights. Many of the common rights of a child derive from these two fundamental principles.
In most societies, children are not thought to be reasonably capable of providing for basic needs on their own. Thus, some of a child’s rights shift the legal responsibility to provide food, shelter, and similar survival needs to parents or guardians. The relative size and strength of a child are also generally perceived as making them vulnerable to harm or abuse, so the physical and psychological safety of children is equally passed on to adults. These basic rights of a child are usually the backbone of any justice system concerned with child protection, as they are the most necessary to ensure survival.
Beyond the basics, a child’s rights typically seek to prohibit the child’s involvement in activities beyond their control or level of consent. This may include bans against the use of child soldiers, capital punishment for children, or the use of child labor or child prostitution. Other prohibitions that play a role in child protection or rights issues include the institution of policies such as age limits for driving, alcohol or tobacco use, or gambling.
Some children’s rights activists point out the inconsistencies in regulating the activities of minors without allowing them to vote or have legal consent. While most activists agree that the protections necessary for the survival and physical safety of children are indisputable, some question the rationale that allows regulation of the activities of young adults and adolescents but does not give them a say in the legislative process. A common argument suggests that minor children should be able to attain grade status before reaching adulthood after passing a proficiency exam.
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