Legal Rights & Responsibilities of Children

In the United States, children have few legal responsibilities until they reach the age of majority, which is usually 18. Responsibility generally lies with the parents until the child is a legal adult. Children do, however, have rights, including basic human and civil rights, and additional rights to basic necessities that are granted to them because they are children.

  1. Responsibilities of Parents

    • Parents are legally obligated to provide food, clothing, shelter, education and a safe environment for their children. The failure of a parent to provide any of these things can result in intervention by social services or child welfare agencies. When it comes to education, parents can choose public schools, private schools or homeschooling; however, it is the parents' responsibility to ensure that their children attend school. Parents may also be held financially responsible for actions of their minor children that cause physical or financial damage to others.

    Rights in the U.S.

    • In the United States, children have a right to a safe environment, education, food and shelter. State laws and court decisions have varied in terms of the additional rights of children, but children are generally protected from exploitation by child labor laws, as well as age restrictions on sexual activity, driving and the purchase of alcohol, tobacco and firearms. The Bill of Rights is generally seen to apply to children with some restrictions. For example, children have a right to free speech and privacy, but this is controlled to an extent by their parents. Children do not have an unconditional right to bear arms.

    Rights Internationally

    • Developed democratic countries are largely in line with U.S. laws in terms of the rights of children. In less developed countries, child protection laws vary widely. Groups such as UNICEF, Amnesty International, Free the Children and others work internationally to try to minimize child labor, the use of child soldiers, child slavery and child sexual exploitation. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a legally binding statement on children's rights, with 140 signatory countries. The Convention establishes a number of rights for the protection of children, including civil, political and welfare rights.

    Tried as Adults

    • There has been considerable controversy in recent years about trying minors as adults for certain criminal offenses. Most states now allow minors to be tried as adults for crimes such as murder. Minors can also be tried as adults for certain federal crimes. Advocates for this approach say that certain crimes should not make distinctions based on the age of the offender, and that harsh sentences act as a deterrent. Others claim that children don't have the capacity to fully understand the consequences of their actions, and that government should do more to insure that children can't obtain deadly weapons.

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