Page 124 - Human Rights

Faculty of Nursing
Adult care Nursing Department

Their role is essential in ensuring humane treatment, improving mental health outcomes, and

promoting justice and dignity within custodial settings.

4.3 Populations at risk

Members of certain groups may be at a particular risk of violence and ill-treatment or neglect
compared to others.

Elsewhere in this document, gender-based violence and its implications for nurses and midwives

have been discussed.

This section addresses the risks faced by children, particularly those in institutions; people in

mental health institutions; people with physical disabilities; and elderly people.

All these groups are known to be at particular risk of human rights abuse.

4.3.1 Children

The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes and urges respect for the human rights of
children. In particular, Article 19 calls for legislative, administrative, social and educational actions

to protect children from all forms of violence, including abuse and neglect. […]

Some nurses will have professional responsibilities directly focusing on children though all nurses

should be prepared to work with children.

“Curricula for medical and nursing students, graduate training programmers in the social and

behavioral sciences, and teacher training programmers should all include the subject of child
abuse and the development within organizations of responses to it”.

In recent years there have been a number of inquiries in several countries into the abuse of

children in the home and in institutions.

113 Academic Year 2025/2026