Corporal Punishment of Children: An Instance of the Challenge of Cultural Relativism and the Universality of Human Rights of Children
Journal Title: The Journal of Human Rights - Year 2012, Vol 7, Issue 1
Abstract
Today many countries have taken measures to recognize the values, principles, rules and norms of human rights, adopting appropriate mechanisms to ensure their implementation and monitoring through a set of documents, doctrines, practices and institutions which are known as the international system of human rights. Under this system, in light of all rules of international law related to human rights, a protection system has been established which with all its principles and institutions seeks the ways to provide general public to benefit from the common global values and to ensure respect for the human beings. The development of this system and consensus on the values, principles, rules and norms of human rights provide grounds for the universality of human rights which has its roots in inherent human dignity of people all over the world more than anything else. Thereupon the development of the international system of human rights of children, special protection of children in general and against acts that violate their rights in particular, has been recognized and universally accepted. This principle has been written into the constitutions of many countries but the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is yet to integrate it. Mandatory family responsibilities, differential criminalization and passing specific penalization for behaviors that violate the rights of children, are the most important illustrations of the principle of special protection of children in public welfare, civil and criminal laws. People who are involved in the child's life the most are parents. Hence, the family is the most important factor in child protection. But can such a role and relation be considered as a justification for granting special rights and privileges to parents and other caregivers and consequently pave the way for deviating from the universal principle of prohibiting discrimination against children? Striking a balance between parental rights and children's rights in the family is the most challenging area related to child protection against victimizing within the family of which corporal punishment of children is one. Referring to cultural relativism in countries that are committed to the implementation of United Nations documents in the context of criminal legislation on the one hand and being obliged to observe the religious rulings in this context on the other hand, make the balance very difficult to maintain. This article examines this issue in the light of international human rights and in general and specific documents about children in global and regional levels. چکیده امروزه کشورهای دنیا نسبت به شناسایی ارزش‌ها، اصول، قواعد و هنجارهای حقوق بشر، راهکاری تضمین، اجرا و نظارت بر آن‌ها از رهگذر مجموعه‌ای از اسناد، آموزه‌ها، رویه‌ها و نهادها اقدام کرد ه‌اند که از آن تحت عنوان نظام بین‌المللی حقوق بشر یاد می‌کنند. بر اساس این نظام، در پرتو مجموع مقررات بین‌المللی مربوط به حقوق بشر، یک نظام حمایتی به وجود آمده که با تمام اصول و نهادهایش درصدد استفاده همگان از ارزش‌های مشترک جهانی و تضمین احترام به آن‌ها برای افراد بشر است. شکل‌گیری این نظام و اجماع جهانی بر سر ارزش‌ها، اصول، قواعد و هنجارهای حقوق بشر موجبات جهان‌شمولی حقوق بشر را فراهم کرده است که بیش از هر چیز در کرامت انسانی ذاتی مردمان سراسر گیتی ریشه دارد. در نتیجه شکل‌گیری نظام بین‌المللی حقوق بشر کودکان، حمایت ویژه از کودکان به صورت عام و در برابر رفتارهای ناقض حقوق آن‌ها به صورت خاص، مورد شناسایی و پذیرش جهانی قرار گرفته است. همچنین این اصل در قوانین اساسی اکثر کشورهای جهان برخلاف قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران مورد پذیرش قرارگرفته است. مسئولیت‌های خانوادگی اجباری ، جرم‌انگاری افتراقی و کیفرگزاری ویژه رفتارهای ناقض حقوق کودکان از مهم‌ترین جلوه‌های اصل حمایت ویژه از کودکان در حقوق رفاهی، مدنی و کیفری می‌باشد. مهم‌ترین اشخاص که در زندگی کودک نقش دارند، والدین هستند. از این رو، خانواده مهم‌ترین عامل تعیین‌کننده در حمایت از کودک است. اما آیا این نقش و رابطه می‌تواند به عنوان عاملی در جهت اعطای حقوق و امتیازات ویژه به والدین و سایر مراقبان محسوب شده و در نتیجه زمینه عدول از اصل جهانی منع تبعیض ضد کودکان را فراهم سازد. ایجاد توازن مابین حقوق کودک و حقوق والدین در خانواده از چالش برانگیز‌ترین حوزه‌های مربوط به حمایت از کودکان در برابر بزه‌دیدگی درون خانوادگی است که نتبیه کودکان یکی از آن‌هاست. استناد به نسبیت گرایی فرهنگی در کشورهایی که از یک سو به اجرای اسناد سازمان ملل متحد در این زمینه متعهد‌اند و از سوی دیگر به رعایت احکام شرعی در قانونگذاری کیفری مکلف‌اند این توازن را بسیار دشوار ساخته است. مقاله پیش رو به بررسی این موضوعدر پرتو نظام بین‌المللی حقوق بشر و بررسی اسناد خاص و عام راجع به کودکان در سطح جهانی و منطقه‌ای می‌پردازد.
Authors and Affiliations
Amir Hamzeh Zeinali, Hussein Jom̒epour
Keywords
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