We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Finance

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Child Protection Laws?

By C. Webb
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 6,431
Share

Child protection laws provide an umbrella of protection in all areas of a child's life, including overall safety, protection from all forms of abuse and protection while using the Internet or email. These laws can vary from place to place and country to country, but many child protection laws share similar elements. In many cases, violations of these laws carry greater punishment than similar crimes carried out against adults.

Pornography laws pertaining to child protection typically prohibit the sharing, purchasing, filming or emailing any print, photo or video that depicts children being exposed to or participating in sexually explicit situations. This includes minors engaged in sexual behaviors, obscene conduct or the display of a child's genitals when done in a sexual manner. When such sexual exploitation of a minor also results in the minor's death, those convicted of the crime could be sentenced many years in prison, life in prison or even death. The selling or buying of children for use in child pornography also falls under these kinds of child protection laws.

The advent of the Internet created a need for child protection laws regarding children's online usage and access. Some child protection laws require schools, libraries and other public places to install special software on all computers that are accessible to children. The software blocks the ability to access obscene or pornographic material online. These places typically must also adopt an Internet safety policy and inform the public of the policy. Some laws also place restrictions on how someone might use the Internet or email to contact a child he or she does not know personally and on what types of communications are permitted be sent to a child through the Internet or email.

Child protection laws that address general safety often include requirements for warning labels on things such as toys or other products that have small parts and might be choking hazards. These laws might specify certain part sizes, ages of children and types of products that will determine whether a warning label is required. Other safety hazards for children, such as spaces or gaps in a product, such as a piece of furniture, where a child might get stuck or have a body part stuck also can be addressed in child protection laws.

Reporting child abuse is required by some child protection laws if the observer works in certain fields. Mental health workers, physicians, social workers, teachers, daycare employees and law enforcement employees are often required by law to report suspected abuse to the proper authorities. In many places, the laws extend these reporting mandates to people such as foster parents, lawyers, religious workers and employees at camps for minors. Child protection laws regarding child abuse provide strict punishments for offenders. In addition, a person who fails to report suspected child abuse as required by the law might be subject to criminal charges as well.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-child-protection-laws.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.