The Protection Strategies for Children in Digital Environment; A Comparative Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor. Kharazmi University

2 Assistant Professor Criminal Law. Faculty of Law and Political Sciences Kharazmi University

10.48308/jlr.2023.226833.2173

Abstract

The digital environment whether alongside or continues of real life, although does not designed for children, plays an important role in their lives, and a considerable rate of its users are children. Nowadays, the environment has changed to a base for their social and growing activities. Thus we need safe use, families’ empowerment, protection, prevention instruments, dealing with risks, and changing to digital citizens more than before. This issue is reflected in domestic, regional, and international instruments as well. Considering general protection strategies for children in the digital environment and suggesting special strategies for criminal and non-criminal harms and risks prevention are the goals of the paper that can be achieved in three levels of surveying the recent situations, desirable situations, and the comparative solutions which link these two. Findings show that socio-protection and affairs, setting up hotlines, including the cooperation of other influencers and decision-makers, and designing sufficient infrastructures are the main international protection strategies for children.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Books

    1. Badami, M. Online Children and Their Right to Comprehensive Security in Cyberspace, Emphasizing the Need for Legislation in This Field: Challenges and the Solutions, Tehran: Judicial Research Institute Publications, First edition, 2020. (in Persian)
    2. Lievens, Eva, et al. Children’s Rights and Digital Technologies, vol 1, Singapore: Springer, 2018.
    3. Rostami Tabrizi, L. and Soudabe Rezvani, Marzieh Agha Mirslim, Cyber Harassment, Typology, Etiology and Victimology, Encyclopedia of Criminal Sciences, second book, second edition, Tehran: Mizan Publication, 2016. (in Persian)

    Articles

    1. Abu Zari, M. “Feasibility of Criminal Liability of Media in the Suicide of Teenagers”, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Studies, Vol49, No.2, 2019:311-330. (in Persian)
    2. Burns, Tracey and Francesca Gottschalk. “Educating 21st Century Children Emotional Well‑Being In The Digital Age”, OECD, 2019, available at: https://www.oecd.org/ . last visited: 13.11.2022.
    3. Hosseini, M. “Government’s Responsibility and Mechanisms to Protect Children's Rights in Cyberspace”, Children's Rights Journal, No.4, 2019: 59-33. (in Persian)
    4. Jones, Lisa M, et al. “Evaluation of Internet Child Safety Materials Used by ICAC Task Forces in School and Community Settings, Final Report, 2013 available at: <https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/authorize?client_id>, last visited on (22.10.2021).
    5. Livingstone, Stoilova,The impact of digital experiences on adolescents with mental health vulnerabilities, available at: <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2021/12/13/the-impact-of-digital-experiences-on-adolescents-with-mental-health-vulnerabilities/>, last visited on (22.12.2021).
    6. Mandegar, M. and Reza Zarei, Massoud Reza Ranjbar Sahraei, Mehrzad Razmi, “Citiability of Electronic Data and Records against Children's Rights in Cyberspace”, Children's Rights Journal, No.5, 2020: 42-13. (in Persian)
    7. Mansour Abadi, A. and Mahmoud Mirkhalili, Hadi Karamati Moez, “Prevention of Child Abuse in Virtual Social Networks with an Emphasis on the Supervisory Role of the Supreme Council of Cyber ​​Space and FATA Police”, Scientific Quarterly of International Police Studies, Vol 12, No. 46, 2021:30-52. (in Persian)
    8. Mohseni, F. “The Contribution of Children and Teenagers to Criminal Protection in Virtual and Real Space”, Criminal Law Teachings, No.1, 2011:137-170. (in Persian)
    9. Moore, Melinda, et al, “Challenges and opportunities for suicide bereavement research: The experience of ethical board review”, Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 34(5), 2013: 297–304.
    10. Osad’an, Robert and Rania Hanna. “The Effects of the Media on Self-Esteems of Young Girls”, Acta Education Generalis, Volume5, Issue1, 2015: 37-44.
    11. Rahgosha, A. and Iman Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Alavi Ardakani, “Developmental Prevention of Children and Adolescent Delinquency in Cyber ​​Space”, Afaq Journal of Human Sciences, No. 10, 2017:1-13. (in Persian)
    12. Ronchi, Elettra and Lisa Robinson. “Child protection online”, Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-Being In The Digital Age, OECD. 2019, Available at: oecd-library.org. last visited: 13.11.2022.
    13. Sharifi, M. and Bita Marzban, Samieh Labafi, “Pathology of Cyberspace Content Production Policy in Iran”, Government Management Quarterly, Vol10, No.2, 2018: 251-268. (in Persian)

    Sites

    1. Zahidania, Mohammad Hassan, Policies and strategies of children and adolescents in non-Islamic countries, available at: http://koodak.tv/4151/, (25/3/1400).
    2. Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (2016). Parental control tools, last visited on (22.12.2021). available at: https://www.ict.gov.ir/ICTContent/media/image/2017/10/52768_orig.pdf
    3. Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (2016). A comparative study in the development of child and adolescent virtual space services, available at:
    4. <https://www.ict.gov.ir/ICTContent/media/image/2017/10/52766_orig.pdf>, last visited on (22.12.2021)
    5. Child safety online global challenges and strategies, available at: < https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/650-child-safety-online-global-challenges-and-strategies.html>, last visited on (22.12.2021).
    6. Child Sexual Abuse Material: Model Legislation & Global Review, available at: < https://www.icmec.org >, last visited on (12.8.2021).
    7. Children’s Media Use and Attitudes, available at:

     https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/childrens>, last visited on (13.8.2021).

    1. Examining the Safety of Children Online Across Europe, available at: < https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/examining-safety-children-online-across-europe>, last visited on (22.12.2021).
    2. Guidelines for policy-makers on Child Online Protection2020, International ITU Publications, available at:

      https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/Pages/pr10-2020-Guidelines-Child-Online-Protecion.aspx> , last visited on (30.8.2021).

    1. Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment - Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)7 of the Committee of Ministers” (2018), available at:

      https://edoc.coe.int/en/children-and-the-internet/7921>, last visited on(5.6.2021).

    1. More than a third of young people in 30 countries report being a victim of online bullying, available at: <https://www.unicef.org>, last visited on (7.7.2021).
    2. Violence against children, available at:

     https://www.unicef.org/protection/violence-against-children-online>, last visited on (25.7.2021).

    1. Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHOA), available at:

    <http://www.haltabuse.org>, last visited on (20.12.2021).

    1. http://www.cyberangels.org>, last visited on (4.7.2021).
    2. https://www.childnet.com >, last visited on (23.6.2021).
    3. org.tr>, last visited on (10.8.2021).
    4. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_fr.pdf.> last visited on (5.7.2021).
    5. https://www.digitalcitizenship.net>, last visited on (22.12.2021).
    6. https://www.guardchild.com>, last visited on (26.8.2021).
    7. https://www.internetmatters.org>, last visited on (27.8.2021).
    8. https://www.newswise.com>, last visited on (14.8.2021).
    9. https://www.statista.com/statistics/937051>, last visited on (27.8.2021).
    10. betterinternetforkids.eu>, last visited on (17.6.2021).
    11. Council of Europe(2018). “Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment - Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)7 of the Committee of Ministers”, available at: https://edoc.coe.int/ last visited: 13.11.2022.
    12. European Commission (2022), A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), Brussels. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/ last visited: 13.11.2022.
    1. Ohchr, “General comment No. 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment”, available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/GCChildrensRightsRelationDigitalEnvironment.aspx>, last visited: 19.8.2021.