Examination of the Duties and Sanctions for the Obligations of Responsible Persons Toward Children and Adolescents at Risk in Iranian Law and International Instruments

Abstract

Children and adolescents at risk, as defined in Article 3 of the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents (enacted in 2020), are individuals whose physical, psychological, moral, social, security, or educational well-being is under threat, even though they have not yet entered the process of delinquency or victimization. In criminology, this condition is regarded as an indicator of the potential movement of a child toward delinquent behavior or victimhood. Accordingly, this study adopts a descriptive–analytical approach grounded in legal reasoning to examine the obligations and enforcement mechanisms imposed on responsible persons with respect to such children. The target age group, according to international instruments, includes individuals under 18 years of age, while under Iranian law, it comprises those lacking religious maturity (children) and mature individuals under the age of 18 (adolescents). Based on Article 6 of the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents and its Executive By-Law, a wide range of governmental and public institutions—including the State Welfare Organization, various ministries, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Vice-Presidency for Women and Family Affairs, and other social bodies—bear specific responsibilities for the comprehensive prevention of victimization and reduction of social harms among children at risk. The pivotal role of the State Welfare Organization in identifying, supporting, and organizing orphans, neglected children, and street children, as explicit examples of children at risk, is particularly emphasized. A comparative analysis with instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (1995 and 2010), and the Beijing, Riyadh, and Havana Rules reveals that intersectoral cooperation and coordinated policymaking are fundamental pillars for the realization of child-centered justice.