what is a child

• Child


  Any human being under the age of 18 unless the relevant national law recognizes an earlier age of majority
• Definition of a child in selected African states

  • Botswana: Child means any person who is below the age of 18 years
  • Malawi: Child means a person below the age of 16 years
  • Swaziland: Child considered below 16, 15, 16-21, 19, 18 years depending on the act
  • South Africa: Child means a person under the age of 18 years
  • Zambia: Child means a person who is below the age of eighteen years
  • Libya: Child is a person under 16 years
  • Zimbabwe: Child is every boy and girl under the age of 18 years
• Definition of a child in Namibia


  • Child Care and Protection Act defines a child as any person who has not yet attained the age of 18 years
  • Age of Majority Act previously defined majority at 21 years but this has been repealed
• Children

  • Have physical or material needs like water, food, clothes, shelter
  • Have emotional or psychological needs like love and attention
  • Have cognitive needs for learning and development
  • Have social, cultural and spiritual needs like a sense of belonging
• Risk factors children face

  • Poverty, inadequate food/nutrition, lack of clothing
  • Caregiver unemployment
  • Lack of birth certificates/identity documents
  • Stigmatized medical conditions
  • Lack of accommodation, sport/recreation facilities
  • Child labour
  • Loss of parent/caregiver
  • Insufficient adult love, care, support, protection
  • Lack of access to essential services
  • Physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation
  • Harmful traditional practices
  • Teen pregnancy, early/forced marriage
  • Inadequate/overcrowded shelter
  • Limited access to schooling, dropping out
  • Illness in family
  • Negative peer pressure, poor role models
  • Lack of sense of belonging/identity
  • Natural disasters
  • Alcohol/substance abuse
  • Disability in family
  • Stigma and bullying
  • Political unrest/conflict
  • Crime/violence
  • Lack of awareness of rights
• Vulnerability

  • The word comes from Latin 'vulnerare' meaning to wound, children who are vulnerable are easily hurt or wounded
  • Vulnerability can be societal (e.g. poverty, violence) or individual (e.g. lack of food, abuse)
• Situations of children are not constant but change continuously, new risks and protective factors can move a child towards or away from vulnerability
• Protective factors

  • Enough nutritious food
  • School access for those who can't afford fees
  • Consistent caring adult caregiver
  • Recreational programmes and facilities
  • After-school programmes
  • Safe schools and communities
  • Community action on unemployment and poverty
  • Hygienic washing facilities
  • Peer support groups or clubs
  • Friends
  • Spiritual support
  • Hope for the future
  • Participation in community/family events, sense of belonging
  • Ability in sports, music etc. that brings positive attention
• Resilience

  • The ability to face, overcome and even be strengthened by difficult experiences
  • Resilience comes from external support (I HAVE), inner strength (I AM), and social/interpersonal skills (I CAN)
• Sources of resilience


  • I HAVE: People around me I trust and who love me, people who set limits, people who show me how to do things, people who want me to learn, people who help me
  • I AM: Someone who people like and love, happy to help others, respectful of myself and others, willing to be responsible
  • I CAN: Talk to others about fears/problems, find ways to solve problems, control myself, decide when to take action, find someone to help
• Psychosocial support (PSS)


  • The support provided by one person to another that positively aids that person's emotional and social development
  • It is a continuum of love, care and protection that enhances the cognitive, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of a person and strengthens their social and cultural connectedness
• Effective PSS enhances individual, family and community competencies and positively influences both the individual and the social environment
• Social connectedness


  • The (positive) quantity and quality of meaningful and supportive relationships between people
  • Socially connected people have meaningful and trusting relationships and bonds with those around them, including families and communities
• Ubuntu


  An African concept meaning the essence of being human, encompassing humaneness, gentleness, hospitality, compassion, and the idea that our humanity is bound up in each other's
• Ubuntu in child protection means that our identity and wellbeing depend on our connections with others, and strengthening these connections builds our capacity to live a full life