International Children’s day – New Amnesty thematic paper sets out how police must respect children’s rights

Police around the world frequently interact with children — yet too often these encounters result in fear, trauma, injuries or other violations of their rights. Amnesty International’s new publication Police and Children sets out clear, child-specific safeguards for policing, based on international human rights standards.

Children face unnecessary force, discrimination, and unsafe treatment in their interactions with police — simply because policing approaches are built for adults.

Our new publication Police and Children explains how law enforcement must protect children’s rights, prioritise their best interests, and ensure child-appropriate policing at every step.

The publication begins with essential background to children’s rights, followed by detailed chapters on police interaction with children in general, use of force, children in conflict with the law, stop and search, interviewing children, facilitating assemblies involving children, and accountability and transparency, concluding with a summary of recommendations.

The publication emphasizes that all police interactions with children must respect the fundamental principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution, non-discrimination, and accountability — while recognizing children’s vulnerabilities.

It calls for:

• The inclusion of child-specific provisions in all police policies, regulations, and instructions.

• Training and skills development in child-appropriate communication, empathy, and de-escalation techniques.

• Strict limits on the use of force and weapons against children, including a presumption against the use of any weapon, and highly restrictive conditions for any physical restraint.

• An operational framework to guide interactions with children in conflict with the law, focusing on alternatives to arrest and ensuring safe, child-appropriate detention settings where unavoidable.

• Clear regulations for stop and search, including the prohibition of strip searches except under exceptional, supervised circumstances.

• Specialized procedures for interviewing children, prioritizing the child’s well-being and ensuring the presence of a guardian, parent, or legal representative.

• A child friendly approach in the facilitation of assemblies

Amnesty International is calling on states and law enforcement agencies to review their policies, regulations and training to ensure child-specific protections are fully integrated into policing. Children are not small adults — and policing must reflect that reality.

Download

English – Police and Children Thematic paper

French – La police et les mineur-e-s Document de réflexion

Spanish – La policía y los niños y niñas Documento de reflexión