Content note: This article discusses sexual abuse and sexual violence.
Article 34 of the UNCRC says that children and young people have the right to be protected from sexual abuse. They have this right regardless of their gender, and regardless of who they’re attracted to.
If a child or young person has a disability, the government should make sure they are protected from sexual abuse. The government should also do this for refugees.
Being married before being legally old enough is a form of sexual abuse, and children and young people have a right to be protected from this.
A right to recover
If a child or young person is a survivor of sexual abuse, they have the right to recover from it and the right to get help to do so.
Relevant General Comments
The Committee on the Rights of the Child has produced many General Comments that help people understand how the UNCRC works in practice.
Some General Comments that are relevant to Article 34 are:
- General Comment 13, on the right to freedom from all forms of violence,
- General Comment 18, on harmful practices against women, girls and children, and
- Draft General Comment 25, on how children’s rights apply in the digital world.