Children's Rights in the UK

[GothAnneGeddes]

A few threads here recently have been discussing topics related to children's rights and looking at the rights of the child vs the right of their parents.

Following on from that, I just wanted to hear people's opinions on whether they feel UK children have their rights protected or if the pendulum has 'swung too far'.

I really don't know very much at all about what specific rights are enshrined in law for children. Neither, I suspect, do others. On the other hand, I have had training on child safety matters - as do many others that come into contact with children.... and been conscious that if an accusation arose, the burden of proof would be on the adult to prove innocence and not the child to prove guilt. With the requirement of CRB checks and so forth, all adults are treated as potentially dangerous, until they prove they are not. Consequently, I think there is a lot of nervous eggshell-treading going on... which isn't the fault of any children's rights legislation, necessarily, but the skew of the add-ons that surround it..

Where I do think the pendulum has 'swung too far'... and this is only from personal experience... is the way an increasing number of parents support their children and challenge teachers rather than the other way around. The mixed messages that result mean that some children believe themselves to be above reproach. Combined with the burden of proof issue mentioned earlier, I think this has potential for damage.