As the number of children grows, many countries struggle to provide adequate care and education. Some even struggle to protect them from violence, exploitation and abuse. The inclusion of a child protection goal in the 2030 Agenda marks an important step forward, but much remains to be done.
Children are the most vulnerable people in society. They are at risk of being subjected to a range of violations, including commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons; child labour; harmful traditional practices, such as female genital cutting and killing and child marriage; and forced prostitution. Children’s rights are essential to a just, safe and equitable world.
Every child has the right to life, survival and development as reflected in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This includes the right to a standard of living, adequate food, housing, quality health care, rest and leisure. It also includes the right to play and engage in cultural activities. Governments should ensure that children are protected and well looked after by their parents and other adults. They should have the right to have an official record of their name, nationality and family relations.
From a Christian perspective, a child is God’s special creation and part of His creative plan (Genesis 1:28). Children are not born to live in isolation, but God gifts them to mothers and fathers, i.e. they are placed in families, where children interact with other members of the family and community and develop their own identities, beliefs, morals and customs.
The term “child” can be used to refer to a person of any age who has not reached adulthood, depending on the context. In English, the word has its roots in the Latin word for infancia, meaning “infancy”. A child can be a sibling or the offspring of either a brother or sister.
Throughout history, people have viewed children in different ways: as angelic treasures from heaven, as the property of their parents, or as little monsters. They have also been viewed as pathologically weak, physically disproportionate, and incapable of happiness.
Historians have examined the concept of childhood through art, architecture, furniture, school records and more to discover how societies shaped this concept. In his 1960 book Centuries of Childhood, historian Philippe Aries argued that the idea of childhood is a relatively recent invention and that in earlier times children were represented more as mini-adults. In modern times, a growing body of research shows that childhood is not just an insignificant stage but a key period in human development. Developing and strengthening children’s abilities to think, learn, and act is vital for the future of humanity. This requires a commitment to invest in early learning and care for all children, especially the most disadvantaged. In addition, it requires an end to violence, neglect and exploitation that harms so many children around the world. This is an urgent priority for all of us.