Fearless About Children's Rights

Fearless About Children's Rights

Iain Corbett, Freelance Fearless Senior Practitioner

On the 16^th of July 2024, Scotland took the important step to incorporate the UNCRC into Scots Law. A bold move, fearless even, and a testament to Scotland’s commitment to supporting our children to grow up safely and supporting them to meet their potential. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC, is a legally binding agreement which outlines the rights of our children. It details the minimum expectation for our children all across our society and clearly defines the areas of their lives which must be protected.

Great, lovely – but what’s that got to do with Fearless? Don’t you just deal with crime reporting?

Well, Fearless, like all organisations, now have a legal obligation to uphold the rights of children (something we were passionate about even before the incorporation into law) in all interactions they may have with them. An obligation we are more than happy to take on board. We are committed to children’s rights, and this commitment underpins everything we do. 

So, what does that look like in practice? Well, here are some of the ways Fearless Scotland support the upholding of children’s rights:

Article 1 states that everyone under the age of 18 is a child and should be treated accordingly. At Fearless we fully support this, recognising that your age and stage can have big implications on how you understand and navigate this world. That’s why Fearless takes a different approach to Crimestoppers – we offer an anonymous reporting service because we realise that young people have different needs and wants from adults – and these should be accommodated.

Article 3 ensures that all adults act in the best interest of the child. That’s what Fearless is all about – acting on the best interests of the child. Building safer communities, which promote healthy and happy childhoods. By reporting crime – we minimise crime. Less crime is and always will be in the child’s best interest.

Article 12 demands that children have a voice on the issues that affect them and that that voice is given the proper weight that its due. We are passionate about this one, which is why almost all of our work is codesigned or shaped by young people. It’s important for us to have the voice of children and young people shape the campaigns that are ultimately for them. Who know the young team better than the young team?

Articles 34-36 make it clear that trafficking or exploitation, criminally or sexually, of children will not be tolerated under any circumstances – that’s why Fearless has campaigns and resources such as our recent Sextortion campaign which not only raises awareness of these issues, but gives practical ways to raise concerns – 100% anonymously. 

Finally, Article 40 states that a child accused or guilty of committing an offence should be treated with respect. For Fearless, reporting crime isn’t about blame or stigma – it’s about safety and support. People commit crimes for a number of reasons, including unmet needs. When we know about issues, we can respond to them, and when we support people to desist from offending, we can support them to build safer communities alongside us. 

So, at Fearless, upholding rights isn’t just an obligation, but a privilege. It allows us to work alongside children and young people to reduce crime and play our part in shaping safer communities – together. And you can be part of it too! Get to know about children’s rights: UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf. Fearlessly advocate for them, and take time to think what you can do to uphold the rights of our children.

They’re worth it.