Child protection
Child protection (also called child welfare) is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.[1][2][3][4] It involves identifying signs of potential harm. This includes responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse, providing support and services to protect children, and holding those who have harmed them accountable.[5]
For other uses, see Child protection (disambiguation).
The primary goal of child protection is to ensure that all children are safe and free from harm or danger.[4][6] Child protection also works to prevent future harm by creating policies and systems that identify and respond to risks before they lead to harm.[7]
In order to achieve these goals, research suggests that child protection services should be provided in a holistic way.[8][9][10] This means taking into account the social, economic, cultural, psychological, and environmental factors that can contribute to the risk of harm for individual children and their families. Collaboration across sectors and disciplines to create a comprehensive system of support and safety for children is required.[11][12]
It is the responsibility of individuals, organizations, and governments to ensure that children are protected from harm and their rights are respected.[13] This includes providing a safe environment for children to grow and develop, protecting them from physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and ensuring they have access to education, healthcare, and resources to fulfill their basic needs.[14]
Child protection systems are a set of services, usually government-run, designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability. UNICEF defines[15] a 'child protection system' as:
Under Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child , a 'child protection system' provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways this can be enabled is through the provision of quality education, the fourth of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to other child protection systems. Some literature argues that child protection begins at conception; even how the conception took place can affect the child's development.[16]
International treaties[edit]
The International Labor Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labor issues, created in 1919. It takes care also of child labor issues, in particular with conventions 138 and 182.
On 20 November 1959 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Declaration of the Rights of the Child during the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations Program headquartered in New York City, that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.
In 2000, an agreement was reached among countries belonging to the United Nations countries about the military use of children.
The effectiveness of these programs is contested and seems limited to some.
A key part of child protection work is assessment.
A particular challenge arises where child protection professionals are assessing families where neglect is occurring. Professionals conducting assessments of families where neglect is taking place are said to sometimes make the following errors:[59]
Media related to Child welfare at Wikimedia Commons