Child Rights

Know Your Community and Your Rights

Take some time to find out which organisations in your community support children and young people. Learn what help they offer and write down important helpline numbers so you know where to turn if you or someone else needs support.

It’s also important to understand your rights and your responsibilities as a young person. These help keep you—and everyone around you—safe and respected.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

✅ Safety and Kindness
You have the right to be protected from cruelty and from physical, sexual, or emotional harm.
You also have the responsibility to be kind and never bully or hurt others.

✅ Your Voice Matters
You have the right to speak up and be taken seriously.
You have the responsibility to be honest and tell the truth.

✅ Equality and Respect
You have the right to be treated fairly, no matter your race, gender, language, or religion.
You have the responsibility to respect others and treat everyone equally.

✅ Privacy
You have the right to your own privacy.
You also have the responsibility to respect other people’s privacy.

✅ A Healthy Body
You have the right to be protected from alcohol and drugs.
You have the responsibility not to use or encourage anything that can harm your body.

✅ Care and Guidance
You have the right to be cared for and guided by adults who want the best for you.
You have the responsibility to try your best and grow into the best person you can be.

✅ Understanding Abuse
You must know what physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse are, how to report them, and that making up false reports has serious consequences.

✅ The Right to Say “No”
You have the right to say “no” if something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
You also have the responsibility to respect someone else’s “no”. If someone asks you to stop, you must stop immediately.