GROUP SIX

Questions
1) What are the rights and responsibilities of children?
2) What is the children’s rights charter?
3) Common forms of child abuse?
4) Strategies for prevention and control of child abuse?
Who is a Child?
• According to the Uganda Children Act Chapter 62 Commenced on 1 st
August 1997 revised on 31st December 2023 by the Law reform
Commission of Uganda, a child is a person below the age of eighteen
years.
What are rights?
• Rights are inherent entitlements and freedoms that every individual
has by simply being human; legally or morally recognized and ensures
human dignity, protection, and equality for every individual in society

• Rights can be natural or fundamental (Inherent by birth) or legal

(given by laws and constitutions).
What is a Child’s responsibility?
• A child’s responsibility is the duty and expected behavior of a child
toward their parents, community, and society, including respect,
obedience, learning, preserving cultural values, and respecting the
rights of others.
Rights of Children According to the Uganda Children Act
Every Child shall have the right to-

• live with his or her parent or guardian;

• where capable, express his or her view, belief or opinion on any matter
that affects his or her well-being;
• access any information to which a parent, guardian or other person in
authority deems critical to the well-being of the child;
• be registered after birth;
• a name and nationality;
• inherit property where applicable;
Every child shall have the right to-
• safety, privacy, information and access to basic social services;
• leisure which is not morally harmful and the right to participate in
sports and positive cultural and artistic activities;
• use any social amenities or other resources available in any situation
of armed conflict or natural or man-made disasters;
• be treated without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of his or her
race, color, religion, belief, age, family status, culture, language,
ethnicity, nationality, social origin, citizenship, gender, disability if
any, political or social opinion, property or any other condition;
Every child shall have the right to-
• effective legal aid including representation in all civil, criminal and
administrative proceedings; and
• exercise, in addition to all the rights stated in this Act, the rights set
out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and
the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, with
appropriate modifications to suit circumstances in Uganda, that are not
specifically mentioned in this Act.
According to the African Charter on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child
• No child shall be subject to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his
privacy, family, home or correspondence, or to the attacks upon his
honor or reputation, provided that parents or legal guardians shall have
the right to exercise reasonable supervision over the conduct of their
children.
• Every child shall have the right to education directed to: the promotion
and development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and
physical abilities to their fullest potential; the preservation of national
independence and territorial integrity; the promotion and achievements
of African Unity and Solidarity
According to the ACRWC
• Every child who is mentally or physically disabled shall have the right to
special measures of protection in keeping with his physical and moral
needs and under conditions which ensure his dignity, promote his self-
reliance and active participation in the community.
• Every child shall be protected from all forms of economic exploitation and
from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere
with the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development.
• Every child accused or found guilty of having infringed penal law shall
have the right to special treatment in a manner consistent will the child’s
sense of dignity and worth and which reinforces the child respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms of others.
Responsibilities of Children

Children have the right to be taken seriously ... and the

responsibility to listen to others
 Children have the right to
quality medical care ... and the
responsibility to
take care of themselves
 Children have the right to be
loved and protected from harm ... and
the responsibility to show love and care
to others
 Children have the right to special
care for special needs ... and the
responsibility to be the best people
they can be
 Children have the right to be
proud of their heritage and
beliefs ... and the responsibility to
respect the origins and beliefs of
others
 Children have the right to a safe
and comfortable home ... and the
responsibility to share in keeping it
neat and clean
Children have the right to be
adequately fed ... and the
responsibility not to waste
food
Children have the right to make
mistakes ... and the responsibility
to learn from those mistakes
According to the ACRWC
• The child, subject to his age and ability, and such limitations as may
be contained in the present Charter, shall have the duty:
• to work for the cohesion of the family, to respect his parents, superiors and elders
at all times and to assist them in case of need;
• to serve his national community by placing his physical and intellectual abilities
at its service;
• to preserve and strengthen social and national solidarity;
• to preserve and strengthen African cultural values in his relations with other
members of the society, in the spirit of tolerance, dialogue and consultation and
to contribute to the moral well-being of society;
• to preserve and strengthen the independence and the integrity of his country;
• to contribute to the best of his abilities, at all times and at all levels, to the
promotion and achievement of African Unity.
Children’s right charter
• A Children’s Rights Charter is a declaration or policy document that
summarizes the fundamental rights and freedoms of children,
adapted from international and regional child rights instruments.

• It has been ratified by almost every country in the world, making it the
most widely accepted human rights treaty and serves as a guide for
governments, organizations, and individuals to ensure that the
rights of children are respected and protected.
Children’s Rights Charter
• It is usually derived from international, regional, and national
instruments that protect children:
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989)
the principal international children’s-rights treaty. It is legally binding ratified
by 196 countries (all UN members except the USA)
• The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC,
1990) a regional instrument adopted by the Organization of African Unity
(African Union) to address issues specific to African children.
• Uganda Children’s Charter (1997) a child-friendly version of the CRC and
ACRWC, developed after Uganda ratified both instruments written in simple
language so children themselves can understand their rights and
responsibilities.
The general principles that guide all the
rights in a Children’s Rights Charter
• Right to live/survival (life, basic nutrition, health, and shelter)
• Right to development (education, play, leisure, and cultural activities
• Right to protection (from abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination,
harmful cultural practices)
• Right to participation (freedom of expression, thought, religion,
association, and being heard in decisions affecting them)
• Non-discrimination
Child Abuse
Definition
• The WHO defines child abuse as all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-
treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other
exploitation against people under 18 years old, resulting in actual or potential
harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a
relationship of responsibility, trust or power perpetrated by parents or other
caregivers, peers, romantic partners, or strangers.
Common Forms of Child Abuse
• Physical abuse: excessive intentional physical injury includes:
severe beating, burning, hitting children against hard surfaces, hot
water submersion.
• Child sexual abuse: acts that create sexual arousal in the child or
the perpetrator e.g. prolonged kissing, excessive touching, actual
sex, child pornography,, inappropriate intimacy with a child, and
child marriage.
• Emotional (psychological) abuse: Non-physical behaviors that
harm a child’s self-worth or emotional well-being. This includes
shouting, threats, rejection, isolation or exposure to domestic
violence.
Cont…
• Child neglect: the failure to provide for the basic physical, emotional
and developmental needs of a child, in areas such as health, education,
emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions,
which cause or have a high probability of causing impairment to
a child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social
development
Cont…
• Child exploitation: the employment of a child in activities from
which other people derive a benefit, whether financial, sexual or
political and includes activities such as child
trafficking, child prostitution, child pornography and involvement of
children in armed conflict.
Causes and Risk factors
• Child-level: Very young or adolescent children are more vulnerable;
children with disabilities or who are unwanted/fail to meet unrealistic
expectations may be targeted.

• Parental or caregiver factors: Caregivers who have difficulty

bonding, suffer from mental illness or substance abuse, have poor
impulse control, or were abused themselves are at higher risk of
maltreating children.
Causes or Risk factors
• Family factors: Family stressors such as poverty, unemployment,
domestic violence or family breakdown greatly increase risk. Lack of
a support network (isolated families) worsens the situation.

• Community/societal factors: Environments with high violence,

social norms condoning corporal punishment or rigid gender roles,
lack of social services, and inequality all fuel abuse risk. Communities
with scarce resources or where violence against children is normalized
see higher abuse rates.
Strategies for prevention and control of
Child Abuse
• Organize seminars and parenting programs such as parental
counseling and community parenting workshops that train in
positive, non-violent disciplines and child development.

• Setting up and enforcing strong child-protection laws that abolish

traditions and cultures that promote child abuse. For instance laws
against traditions that encourage early marriages; and prosecuting
abusers.
Cont…
• Keeping children in schools where they can be taught about their
rights, safe and unsafe touch, and how to seek help. Life-skilling and
arranging peer education programs especially for adolescents can
address consent and prevent sexual abuse.

• Ensuring safe and child-friendly spaces at home, school and in the

community through supervised childcare, safe recreational areas, and
cybersecurity measures online and providing alternative care in case of
abuse. Sensitize individuals and the community as a whole to be
vigilant and report any cases of child abuse.
Cont…
• Alleviating poverty and reducing family stress through social protection in
form of cash transfers, food programs, and housing support by the
government can help stabilize families. Providing healthcare, substance abuse
treatment and mental health services to at-risk parents addresses root causes.

• Child abuse must be addressed promptly through mandatory reporting

systems, trained child-protection workers, medical and psychological care for
victims, and legal aid. Crisis helplines and child abuse hotlines should be put
in place to give children and caregivers ways to seek help. Also, therapeutic
services such as rehabilitation should be put in place to help survivors
recover.
Cont…
• Changing social norms and harmful attitudes that condone violence.
Community campaigns, media and faith leaders can work to eliminate
corporal punishment and rigid gender norms. Programs that engage
fathers and other key adults in positive childrearing should be put in
place to promote respect for children.

• Encourage NGOs, churches, various organizations and individuals to

set up and support orphanages and homes that cater for orphans and
other homeless children.
Cont…
• Put up institutions to train and equip disabled children with various
skills like sign language for the dumb to enable them communicate
with others.

In conclusion, much as children are young, they need to be

protected and their rights respected. This will stop them from
carrying on the tradition.
Take-Home Points
• A Child is any human being less than eighteen years old.
• Children have rights to survival, development, protection, and
participation (CRC & Uganda Children Act, 1997
• However, they have a duty to respect others’ rights, follow rules, and
contribute positively at home and in society.
• The UNCRC (1989) is the global charter on children’s rights; Uganda
enforces these through the Children Act (Cap. 59, 1997).
• Child abuse comes in many forms all of which harm health, learning, and
future potential however, it’s preventable if we all take a stand. The WHO
and UNICEF provide seven proven strategies, INSPIRE framework: Laws,
Norms, Safe spaces, Parenting, Income support, Response, Education.
References
• UNICEF (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child. United Nations General
Assembly. Available at: [Link] (Accessed: 7
September 2025).
• World Health Organization (2024) Child maltreatment. Geneva: WHO. Available at:
[Link] (Accessed: 7
September 2025).
• World Health Organization and UNICEF (2016) INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending
violence against children. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at:
[Link] (Accessed: 7 September
2025).
• Government of Uganda (1997) Children Act (Cap. 59). Enacted 1 August 1997.
Kampala: Government of Uganda. Available at: ULII (via [Link]) (Accessed: 7
September 2025).