What are children and youth rights?
Understand children and youth rights in Australia and internationally, including protections and their right to participate in decisions affecting them.
Summary
Like adults, children have a range of human rights, including economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. They also have special rights which recognise their needs as children.
These include the right to:
- protection from exploitation and abuse
- have a say in decisions that affect them
- be cared for and have a home.
Children depend on adults, including parents and teachers, to uphold these rights.
Know your rights
Children’s rights are protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention). Australia is one of 196 countries which have agreed to uphold the rights in the Convention, the most agreed to human rights treaty in the world.
The Convention includes children's rights to:
- be treated fairly
- have a say about decisions that affect them
- be safe no matter where they are
- be safe from violence and abuse
- learn and play
- privacy
- healthcare
- know who they are and where they come from
- help and protection when they need it.
Every 5 years, the Australian Government reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on how it is protecting children's rights and implementing the Convention.
The Australian Government has also agreed to uphold children’s rights protected by other treaties.
Some examples include protection from:
- armed conflict
- slavery
- child prostitution
- child pornography.
Are you a child or a young person?
Which children are most at risk of human rights violations?
Most children and young people in Australia grow up in a safe, healthy and positive environment.
However, some are especially vulnerable and at risk of human rights violations.
These groups include children and young people who:
- are experiencing homelessness
- have a disability
- are in contact with the criminal justice system
- are asylum seekers and refugees
- are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
The National Children's Commissioner has a particular focus on protecting the rights of vulnerable children.
