By Sheikha Suhaila Al-Sabah
Managing Editor
When a child is harmed within the family, the incident may be dismissed as a “family matter.” However, a child’s safety and dignity are not private concerns that can be concealed behind closed doors. The law protects children, and society has a responsibility to remain alert to anything that may threaten their safety and development.
In Kuwait, Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2015 guarantees children protection from violence, harm, physical, psychological and sexual abuse, neglect, mistreatment and exploitation. It also establishes the child’s best interests and protection as priorities in decisions and procedures concerning them. Child protection, therefore, is not merely a moral appeal; it is a right enshrined in law and a responsibility shared by families, society and the relevant authorities.
Abuse is not limited to physical violence. It can take the form of repeated threats, insults that undermine a child’s self-confidence, intimidation that leaves a child constantly anticipating punishment, or neglect that deprives them of care and attention. Such forms of abuse may leave no visible marks on a child’s body, yet they can have lasting effects on their mental well-being, sense of security, ability to learn and capacity to communicate with others.
The law recognises the right of a person responsible for a child’s care to use mild, non-harmful discipline. However, it prohibits deliberately exposing a child to harmful physical, psychological or emotional injury, or to harmful or unlawful practices. It is therefore essential to distinguish between guidance that teaches a child while preserving their dignity and violence that causes injury or fear. Anger and stress do not justify harming a child, and describing abuse as “discipline” neither changes its impact nor removes the child’s right to protection.
Under the law, a child is considered at risk if they are subjected to physical, psychological, emotional or sexual harm, or neglect, or if the conditions in which they are raised at home, at school or in care institutions threaten their proper upbringing and development. The law also provides for the establishment of child protection centres to receive complaints concerning children at risk and take the necessary measures to safeguard them and address the effects of harm.
Nevertheless, a child may be unable to ask for help. They may fear punishment, believe that no one will believe them, or lack the words to describe what is happening. Adults therefore have a responsibility to listen and pay attention. Sudden withdrawal, unusual fear, sleep disturbances or a decline in academic performance may be warning signs that warrant questions and concern. Such indicators alone are not enough to establish what has happened, but they should be taken seriously rather than met with blame or indifference.
This is where the roles of families, schools and society become crucial. Families must provide children with a safe space in which they can speak without fear. Schools must respond responsibly to any concerning signs, while anyone who becomes aware of a potential threat to a child’s safety should seek to bring the matter to the attention of the competent authorities rather than merely discussing it with others or treating it as someone else’s concern. Responsible reporting may be the step that prevents further harm. At the same time, a child’s privacy must be protected, and their name, photograph or any identifying details must not be disclosed.
However severe the pressures may be, they do not justify harming a child or undermining their dignity. Adults are responsible for controlling their own behaviour and seeking support before anger turns into abuse.
Children’s rights do not lose their value within the home, nor do they stop at the family’s doorstep. A child who cannot protect themselves needs adults who notice, listen and act responsibly. Protecting a child is not interference in family affairs; it is the safeguarding of a fundamental right guaranteed by law.
There can be no immunity for violence in the name of discipline, and no justification for remaining silent when a child is at risk. Let us listen before a child falls silent, and protect them before their suffering escalates. Children’s rights are both a legal and a human responsibility, and their dignity is not a family matter that can be ignored.
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