24 Unit 1 Children and Families in Today’s World
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safe environments. They need homes, schools, and
other places where they can develop to their full
potential (Figure 1.12). All children should have the
chance to grow in an environment that promotes
their health and well-being. By studying children,
you will learn how to provide these safe places.
Protect Children’s Rights
People live in a child-centered society—a society
that sees children as important, cares about their
well-being, and works to meet their needs. Some
children also experience, however, a great deal of
harm through abuse and neglect. Children need
Children are easily hurt because they are
physically weaker than adults and cannot reason as
adults. Society must protect them. By learning about
children, lawmakers can pass laws that will keep
children safe.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
(United Nations International Children’s Education
Fund) wrote 54 articles that set out the rights of
every child in the world. These rights can be given
under 11 major categories. The following categories
explain children’s rights to:
• an identity (government should protect
children’s names, family ties, and nationalities)
• a family (children should be able to live with
their parents unless this is not in the children’s
best interest; parents have the responsibility
for raising children with government support)
• express themselves and have access
to information (children have the right
to express their views; have freedom of
thought, conscience, and religion; and obtain
information)
• a safe and healthy life (children have the
right to life; the government should do all it can
to make sure children survive and develop;
children should have access to medical
services and a decent standard of living)
• special protection in times of war (children
who are refugees are entitled to special
protection; children who are under 15 should
not take part in armed conflict)
• an education (primary education should be
free and required of all children; secondary
Children’s Rights
Discussion Activity
education should be accessible to all children)
• special care for the disabled (children with
disabilities have the right to special care,
education, and training)
• protection from discrimination (all rights apply
to all children; children have the right to practice
their own cultures, religions, and languages)
• protection from abuse (children shall
be protected against abuse and neglect;
government shall be involved with laws and
programs concerned with abuse)
• protection from harmful work (children have
the right to rest, leisure, play, and participation
in cultural and artistic activities; children
have the right to be protected from having to
participate in work that threatens their health,
education, and development)
• special treatment if arrested (children are
entitled to assistance and treatment that
respect their rights)
In small groups, list children’s rights
on the left side of a piece of paper. Then,
brainstorm at least three practical situations
in which each right can be applied. Use
examples from everyday life and historical
examples where needed. Choose one
situation for each right and then share your
group’s examples with the rest of the class.