Protecting your rights
Who makes sure your rights are protected?
Your rights are there to keep you safe and to make sure you are treated fairly. In this country there are laws to make sure this happens and all adults have to make sure these are followed.
However sometimes your rights might not always be respected. Organisations like UNICEFUnited Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, which is a part of the United Nations that works for children, challenge governments around the world when children's rights aren't respected.
In Scotland, the Children and Young People鈥檚 Commissioner works to protect your rights. The commissioner can challenge the government when they think a law will go against your rights.
Although children鈥檚 rights apply to every child in the world, in some places these rights aren鈥檛 always respected. Many children don鈥檛 experience the same freedoms we do in Scotland.
When rights clash
Working out what is best for you and your rights isn't always easy.
Some of your rights might clash with other rights at certain times. For example:
- Article 5 of the UNCRCUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says that your parents should guide you when you are growing up, because you might not always know the best decisions to make.
- Article 16 says that you have a right to privacy.
- These articles could clash if your parents wanted to check you were being safe online by looking at your phone.
In a situation like this, the most important thing is to think about what is in the best interests of you as a child or young person.
This is different from not respecting your rights at all or forcing you to do things that are not in your best interest.
When you are growing up you rely on adults to help you develop and make the right choices and the UNCRC makes sure adults consider your best interests.