Scottish Children ‘Denied The Right To Play’

Children are being denied their right to play, Scotland’s commissioner for young people has told the United Nations.

Kathleen Marshall blames “an unhealthy climate” of fear and suspicion for keeping children indoors and accused some parents of being overprotective.

In a report to the Geneva-based UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor Marshall said many Scottish adults were wary of contact with young people, limiting their opportunities for healthy development.

She said: “There is an over-protective attitude towards children that serves to reduce their opportunities for play, leisure, recreation and healthy development.

“This may be fuelled partly by parental fears and partly by the institutional avoidance of risk and liability: our own research showed that adults fear contact with children and young people, for fear of being accused of harming them.”

Her warning was one of several made as Ms Marshall and the UK’s three other children’s commissioners – for England, Wales and Northern Ireland – reported to the UN Committee, which is about to carry out its five-yearly inspection of Britain’s children’s rights.

Ms Marshall gave Scotland a mixed report, stressing to UN officials that the country had a distinct legal and cultural framework for children’s rights, differing substantially from the rest of the UK. She highlighted the unique children’s hearing system with its focus on the interests of the child rather than punishment for offenders, but criticised the nation’s record on jailing children.

She said: “In Scotland we’re getting some things right. Our separate legal system has meant we’ve been able to develop a different – and better – approach compared to the rest of the UK on issues such as juvenile justice.

“I’m also proud to report on the way Scottish communities have embraced the asylum- seeking families in their midst and campaigned against their forcible removal.

“The Scottish Government has spoken out against unacceptable methods of forced removal of children and set a lead in allowing asylum seekers access to further or higher education. This is something we’d like UK-wide.

“There are also areas where I have major concerns. In particular, we still lock up too many young people aged 16 and 17 in Scottish prisons.”

Ms Marshall also underlined concerns about continuing deprivation among Scotland’s one million children. She said: “Scotland’s health record continues to be appalling and although there are now some government strategies to address this, much remains to be done.

“Alcohol and drug misuse have a serious impact and our family support systems are finding it difficult to cope.”

She joined forces with her colleagues in the other UK nations in raising fears over a widening gap between rich and poor.

The UK Government is shortly expected to reveal setbacks in its aim of halving the number of children living in poverty by the end of the decade.

The four commissioners also condemned policies that demonise young people and exclude them from public spaces, for example “mosquito” devices – screeching sirens used to disperse groups.

The UN committee will send officials to the UK for an inspection before reporting in autumn.