May
Article 19
Governments must do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and mistreatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.
 |
Article 19 of the UNCRC makes it clear that children and young people have the basic human right to dignity. This means they have the right to be protected from violence, just like everybody else.
The UNCRC considers violence to happen when someone’s mind is hurt as well as their body. Because of this, verbal abuse and intimidation are included in its definition of the term.
As well as being protected from violence, children and young people should be protected from:
+ all forms of exploitation
+ sexual abuse
+ neglect
+ exposure to accidents
+ violent images.
If someone is violent towards a child or young person, it’s never acceptable or justifiable. It should be possible for them to report a violent act in a safe and confidential way, and reports made by young people should be investigated by the authorities. We teach our children at SSPP, that they can speak with confidence to those adults who care for them in the school.
