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Children’s rights

The full list of rights for children and young people under the age of 18 is set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most accepted standard on children’s rights in the world. Ireland committed to promote children’s rights when it signed up to the Convention in 1992.

Children’s rights include the right to health, education, family life, play and recreation, an adequate standard of living and to be protected from abuse and harm. Children’s rights cover their developmental and age-appropriate needs that change over time as a child grows up.

There are four general principles that underpin all children’s rights:

  • Non-discrimination means that all children have the same right to develop their potential in all situations and at all times. For example, every child should have equal access to education regardless of the child’s gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, parentage, sexual orientation or other status
  • The best interests of the child must be “a primary consideration” in all actions and decisions concerning a child, and must be used to resolve conflicts between different rights. For example, when making national budgetary decisions affecting children, Government must consider how cuts will impact on the best interests of the child
  • The right to survival and development underscores the vital importance of ensuring access to basic services and to equality of opportunity for children to achieve their full development. For example, a child with a disability should have effective access to education and health care to achieve their full potential
  • The views of the child mean that the voice of the child must be heard and respected in all matters concerning his or her rights. For example, those in power should consult with children before making decisions that will affect them.
Security for Children

The younger you start to train your child in home and personal security matters, the easier it will all be. We have all seen on TV the security video of a kid being abducted by a stranger or doing other unsafe things that put themselves in serious danger.

  1. Teach your kids to make an emergency call . Make sure they understand when they should do this. Many kids have saved a parents life because they knew when and how to call 999
  2. Teach them the home emergency drills; how to get out of the house in a fire, what to do if a stranger is in the house, etc. Do not frighten them with this. Just explain so they understand how to do it. Have them show you how they are going to do it so you know they can actually do it. Doing is a better learning tool than listening.
  3. Help your children be on the lookout for situations or actions that make them feel uncomfortable, rather than certain kinds of people. (“Stay away from strangers” is a popular warning used to prevent child abduction and exploitation, however, most children are harmed by “acquaintances.”). You need to teach them what a “stranger” is without teaching them that all strangers are dangerous. Almost any stranger a kid walks up to if they are in trouble will help them. Only a very small percentage will be a problem and the problem ones will probably be obvious.
  4. Teach your children the following:
    • If someone tries to take you somewhere, quickly get away if you can. Run and yell “Someone is trying to take me away!” Run to any other adult you can find and ask for help. Anyone is better than the person who is trying to take you. Run into the nearest house, shop or business. Do not knock or ask; just run in and scream for help.
    • If someone follows you on foot or in a car, run to a “safe place.” A safe place is where there are other people around … the home of a neighbor or friend or a store; not a wooded area or unoccupied building.
    • If you get caught with a predator or other person who is intending to harm you, then fight. Any kid can poke an eye with a finger or use their knee if the opportunity arises. It is a very painful blow and will in all likelihood allow enough time for the kid to escape. This sounds bad, dangerous, hurtful, and politically incorrect, but the alternative is not desirable. The damage done will repair itself in short time and your kid may have just saved his or her life.
  5. Always carry pictures of your children (taken within the last 6 months) and take time every day to make a mental note regarding the clothing being worn by your children. Keep their vital stats up to date. i.e height, weight, scars, distinguishing marks, etc.
  6. Develop family check-in procedures so you always know where your child is, and your child knows where you are.
  7. Learn the routes your kids use to get to school and back or to and from friends’ homes. Take a walk with your kids over the routes and point out any safety issues like alleys, drug houses, known perverts and criminals etc.
  8. Keep a list of your children’s friends and their parents’ names and phone numbers.
Clean Water for Children

Clean water has the power not only to save lives, but to transform them. The power of clean water can keep children healthy, so they can grow strong and attend school, and can enable parents to be healthy so they can create work to create a better life for their families.

Water is essential to survival and health of all human beings. The right to water is a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.

Water access: essential right for all children

The right to water is an essential right since water plays a major role in daily life and in the environment of all people, adults and children. The right to water implies the right to drinking water and to adequate sanitation.