I am a child and do not want to be hurt. Are their laws that have been written to make sure that I am not hurt? What are they?
Yes, children do need special rights because they are vulnerable people. “Vulnerable” means that people need to work extra hard to make sure that you do not get hurt. That is why the Constitution was written to protect all of us
The Constitution’s Bill of Rights (Section 28) talks about the rights that children have:
You should be given a name when you are born and you should be looked after and become part of a family
You should not have to work whilst you are small as this could make you tired and sick
Even if you have done something very bad and the police need to arrest you, you should not be put in jail. If you are put in a jail, it should be for a very short while and it should not be with people that are older than 18
You must have shelter (somewhere dry and comfortable to sleep)
If you are sick, you must be able to see a doctor and get medicine that will make you better
You must have food to eat so that you aren’t hungry
There are other rights that are for everybody (adults and children):
You are equal to everyone else. This means that you must be treated the same as someone who is white, black, man, woman, short or tall
You have the right to live. This means that nobody is allowed to kill you and if they do, they must be punished
You have the right to freedom and security. This means that nobody is allowed to put you in jail for no reason or to stop you from moving around. If you do have to go to jail, this right also means that nobody should hit you or hurt you in any way
Slavery and forced labour is not allowed. Nobody can make you work when you are young
You have the right to privacy, which means if you want to be left alone, you have the right to do this
You have the right to think what you want, to say what you want and nobody can deny you this right. But remember that this does not mean that you can say horrible things about other people as that would not be nice
Everyone has the right to good and comfortable housing. Nobody can come to your house and throw you out unless the court has said they can do this
Everyone has the right to all basic health. This means that if you are ill, you have the right to see a doctor and get medicine. All people should also be able to get food and water to keep them healthy.
Having these rights in the Constitution, means that if they are not respected, it is against the law. Remember that it doesn’t mean you can do what you want when you want. Just remember to treat people as you want them to treat you. There are many other rights, and as you get older you will learn more about them.
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This article is brought to you by Childline SA.
Childline South Africa is committed to developing appropriate social services including a 24 hour toll free helpline and supportive therapeutic social services for children who have been victims of violence.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SOUTH AFRICA (BBBSSA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping South African children and youth at risk between the ages of 6 -18 years. It is a mentoring programme that matches youth in need with carefully selected and trained adult volunteers in one-to-one relationships that help them maximize their potential.
One of the main hurdles facing ECD in South Africa concerns children’s access to good ECD services. Early Childhood Development (ECD) refers to the physical, emotional, social and cognitive development of children aged birth to nine years, both within and outside the family.
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In honour of International Children’s Day – June 1st.
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