Policing for children
The state conventionally did not concern itself with the safety and security of the child as children were traditionally expected to be and were generally taken care of by families.[1][2].
Neglect of protection of children by police has often triggered massive protests and resulted in considerable political costs for governments. One such example was the kidnapping of Alexandra Măceșanu and Luiza Melencu in Romania.[3][4] Governments and police organisations across the world have paid increasing attention to ensuring children's safety in recent years, through enacting new child laws, creating new child protection institutions, initiatives, and rewards within police, and by creating forums(such as the Student Police Cadet Scheme) for co-creating security with children[5][6]
Police in child protection
Enforcing child laws
Legislations such as Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, 1988 (United States), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (India), Child Abuse Prevention Law, 2000 (Japan), Children Act, 1989 (United Kingdom), Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act, 1998 (Australia) give mandatory role for Police in child protection.[citation needed] The actual implementation of these Acts depends crucially on police discretion.[7]
Child Protection Institutions of police
Statutory institutions such the Brigade de Protection des Mineurs (BPM) in France, Child Safeguarding Units (CSUs) and Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command in the United Kingdom, Child Welfare Police Officers[8] and Special Juvenile Police Units[9]in India, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU), Child Abuse Units in the United States, State Police Youth Units in Germany etc. provide institutional framework for police response in various aspects of child protection.[citation needed]
Child protection initiatives by police
Ghaziabad Police Department in Uttar Pradesh launched an effort Operation Muskaan to trace missing children in September 2014 and met with great success. The project was later adopted by the Ministry of Home Affairs for adoption across India during which thousands of children were rescued by police from various states and union territories[10]. India's Railway Protection Force launched a scheme called Nanhe Farishtey to rescue missing children in 2018 and have saved more than 80,000 children by 2024[11].
Tanzanian Police initiated Police-led Child Protection Desks in 25,000 schools for reporting and response as part of a 2024 global pledge to end violence[12][not in citation given]
Child protection in police training
UNICEF through partnership with the National Police Academy (NPA) India helped set up a Child Protection Resource Centre to standardise knowledge and skills within the Indian Police to manage child protection issues[13][not in citation given]
Child protection as a core expertise in policing
Police officers such as Simon Bailey (UK), Rajendra Bhosale have dedicated considerable part of their career towards child protection and has been recognised as such[14].
References
- ↑ Waubanascum, Cary; Sarche, Michelle (2023). ""So, we've been taken away since forever": Indigenous Relative Caregivers' Experiences as a Framework for Uncovering Coloniality in the Child Welfare System". Adversity and Resilience Science. 4 (4): 343–361. doi:10.1007/s42844-023-00111-2. ISSN 2662-2424.
- ↑ Shannon, Geoffrey; Concubhair, Cian Ó (2016). "The Role of Policing in Contemporary Child Protection". Irish Jurist. 56: 66–102. ISSN 0021-1273. JSTOR 26447996.
- ↑ "Recordings reveal missing teenager begged police to 'stay on the line' before being murdered". The Independent. 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ↑ McLaughlin, Daniel. "Second Romanian minister falls amid anger over teenager's murder". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ↑ "Rajnath Singh Starts "Student Police Cadet" Project In Gurugram". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ↑ Ilyas, K. P. A. "Justice for Child Victims as contrasted with Justice for Adult Victims: An Ethnographic Study" (PDF). Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy Journal (Special Issue on Child Protection). Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. 72 (1): 153–183. ISSN 2395-2733.
- ↑ Tieger, Joseph H. (1971). "Police Discretion and Discriminatory Enforcement". Duke Law Journal. 1971 (4): 717–743. doi:10.2307/1371673. JSTOR 1371673.
- ↑ Section 107 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
- ↑ Section 63 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
- ↑ "Over 7,600 children rescued under Operation Muskaan-XI". The Hindu. 2 August 2025.
- ↑ "84,119 children were rescued under OperationNanhe Farishtey". Times of India. 17 July 2024.
- ↑ "In Tanzania, child protection systems keep children safe from harm | UNICEF". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
- ↑ Pauluk, Dorota (2023-12-29). "Protecting and Educating Children on the Move in UNICEF and UNHCR Documents". Horyzonty Wychowania. 22 (64): 137–146. doi:10.35765/hw.2023.2264.13. ISSN 2391-9485.
- ↑ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B9.https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63714/supplement/B9
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