The concept of childhood is a good thing because nowadays childhood is the time for children to stay happy little people, while it did not exist previously. According to UNICEF, «it is a time period to be in school and at play, to grow strong and confident with the love and encouragement of their family and an extended community of caring adults» (Childhood defined, n.d.). The pros of this concept mean that children stay safe from violence, they are protected from abuse and exploitation, and the government protects children (Childhood defined, n.d.). In other words, they enjoy their status, which was unusual before. The cons of this concept are absent because children should not be treated as adults due to their special needs.
The criteria for the transition from a child to an adult are based on anthropological, sociological, and psychological factors (Arnett, 2001). Basically, the 15th birthday means the transition from childhood to adulthood. Thus, a girl becomes a woman, and a boy turns into a man. On the other hand, children are not little adults because they purely depend on parents and other adults and exist within family units (Raphael et.al., 2014). In other words, the health and functioning of the family directly impact the health of the child. Next, as children grow older, their autonomy increases (Raphael et.al., 2014).
Children deserve and need special legal protections because a family cannot guarantee their full safety. The period of childhood means that a child has not finished developing physically or mentally, he cannot fully control his actions or defend himself. According to the principle of the superior interest of children, all the decisions regarding children have to ensure their immediate and future well-being and guarantee the child rights (Right to protection, n.d.). It should be noted that there is a systematic violation of the rights of the child in the country due to the crisis of family institution. Moral principles are weakened, a growing number of children is affected by the cruelty of parents, and educational level of people has significantly reduced. As the result, the state protects children's rights in the family due to orphanhood, homelessness, crime, and drug addiction. In other words, children deserve special legal protection because family members cannot fully protect them.
References
Arnett, J. (2001). Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood: Perspectives From
Adolescence Through Midlife. Journal of Adult Development, Vol. 8, No. 2. Retrieved from
http://www.jeffreyarnett.com/articles/ARNETT_conceptions_of_the_transition_to_adulthood.pdf
Childhood defined. (N.d.). UNICEF. Retrieved from
https://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/childhooddefined.html
Raphael, J. et.al. (2014). Not Just Little Adults: Considerations for Quality Measures of Child
Health Care. AHRQ. Retrieved from
https://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/expert/expert-commentary/47906
Right to protection. (N.d.). Humanium. Retrieved from
http://www.humanium.org/en/fundamental-rights/protection/
