Why Neglecting Children’s Rights Is Bad For Society
In our society, human rights play a very crucial role, especially in this social media-influenced age, where everyone has a platform to speak. However, there are still some souls who do not have the platform to give their opinion. So, where do children’s rights go?
Is it worth ignoring them because they are not at the age to make any sensible decision?
Or, letting them be an integral part of our society is equally important.
This is what we will be discussing in the excerpt below –
What are children’s rights, and why ignoring it could be the worst mistake mankind is making?
What Is Children’s Rights
It is a subset of human rights. It ensures that the likes of every child in society are under protection.
Some of the basic rights that government and family should ensure every child are:
- The right to survival with the help of shelter, food, and clean water.
- Right to protection from which they cannot protect themselves.
- The right to participate in important matters and not face ignorance and disregard.
- Right to development through education.
Children’s Rights & Its Importance
Children’s rights are not a matter for just the little ones to understand. In fact, most of the responsibility to protect children lies on the adults of the society.
Here is why!
1. Children Look Up To Us
From the age of infancy to teenage, children are under their parents or any guardianship. This means they are completely dependable on someone for everything. Starting from food and shelter to protection and education.
- This also encourages imitation and the concept of role models.
- Protecting a child’s rights will help them lead a better life.
- They will also learn important lessons that a volatile environment wouldn’t teach.
- Help them understand the importance of basic human rights, and they will raise their voice in the future.
- It will teach them to be better role models and protect other rights because that is what they have learned in their domestic and external environment.
2. Children Are The Future
Neglecting children’s rights means you are neglecting your society’s future.
- Children getting the best education will be able to uphold high positions in the future.
- Better food and water supply will keep them away from physical ailments, hence making them stronger human beings later.
- Protection from harmful elements of society will also help them keep their mental health intake.
- The effects of disease, poverty, and malnutrition cannot build resilient individuals who can take responsibility.
Remember, without the insightful addition of these children in our future, society wouldn’t progress. If you wish to build a responsible human being for the future, protect them now.
3. They Are Individual Beings
Just because they do not have autonomy over their own life doesn’t mean they aren’t fully functioning individuals. For example, just because a parent is guiding them, one shouldn’t disregard their opinions. Being heard is every child’s right.
- Plus, coddling a child while smothering their wishes wouldn’t make them fully functioning.
- This might also keep them dependable to a parent or a guardian.
- Giving children the right to open makes them responsible. That is, it gives them the opportunity to face the consequences.
- Maturity in a child comes with learning from their own mistakes. Thus, taking away a child’s right to opinion can have grave consequences for their development.
It is high time we stop acting like they’re ‘people-in-the-making.’ Yes, they are still developing, but surely, they are fully functioning individuals.
4. Any Political Conflict Impacts Children The Most
Many might find this a hard pill to swallow, as it takes away from their fair share of suffering due to government amendments or political conflict. However, it is true!
- Since children do not have the official right to raise their voices or take action against these matters, they suffer the most.
- Remember, any favorable bill passed is also putting their future in danger.
- In the present, when facing political conflict, their livelihood is also in danger. Think about the current war-stricken countries which do not have the means to provide any children’s rights. There are children and infants who do not have the means to travel or earn a living. This puts their education, safety, and health in question.
Protecting children from the current conflicting scenario in any area is now becoming even more important.
5. Children’s View Are Also Important
This is not just a matter of domestic involvement but also political ones, especially if the government is making amendments that can directly impact them.
For example, the government passes educational laws. Schools and colleges should ask for the child’s opinion or conduct service to bring more transparency. Since children under the age of 18 do not have voting rights, this will ensure their involvement in such matters.
Protecting children’s rights in the political sphere helps:
Building politically aware individuals for the future.
Helps build trust, stating that the government has their best interest at heart. After all, they are our future voters.
Children’s views are massively unheard of in our society, and it is time for us to change it. Definitely, not everything a child says will be functional to society, but that is no excuse to disregard them completely.
Negligent Society Fails Their Children
Not paying enough attention to children’s rights is one way to neglect the well-being of your future. If a child grows up without any concept of rights, it can impact their well-being.
Plus, the initial years are crucial to help a child’s development. This includes:
- Providing them with an environment that doesn’t have discrimination. Discrimination, in general, can have the worst effect on a child’s psyche.
- Keeping their best interest in mind. Without this, the child loses self-confidence. Other people’s negligence can make a child feel like a negligent person.
- Not knowing about these rights for children also hinders their knowledge regarding the subject matter. This can build a less politically aware child.
- Without fundamental rights, there is no concept of fundamental responsibility.
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