Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Master of Criminal Law and Criminology, Tabnak University, Lamerd, Iran (Corresponding Author)
2
PhD in Criminal Law and Criminology, Lecturer, Tabnak University, Lamerd, Iran
10.22034/lc.2026.604249.1815
Abstract
Child laborers constitute one of the most vulnerable social groups, and their rights particularly within the family context are subject to serious violations. The central question concerns the nature, effects, and manifestations of Iran’s penal policy regarding the role of child laborers' parents, and the extent to which this policy aligns with the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Findings from this descriptive-analytical study reveal two primary facets of Iran's penal policy: first, the criminalization of the economic exploitation of children and child abuse, incorporating aggravating circumstances for parents as individuals with legal responsibility; and second, the criminalization of the failure to fulfill duties related to custody and maintenance, reflecting a policy that is both protective and punitive. However, this policy faces challenges such as parental poverty and unemployment, the absence of preventive and restorative approaches, a disregard for parental victimization, weak enforcement mechanisms, and a lack of effective oversight; in practice, its consequences sometimes lead to the child's removal from the family and heightened vulnerability rather than their protection. Consequently, full alignment with the Convention on the Rights of the Child necessitates a shift from a purely punitive penal policy to an integrated, preventive, and restorative approach one that maintains parental criminal liability while simultaneously addressing the socioeconomic root causes of the child labor phenomenon.
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