Parent Child Relationship and Children's Rights

The relationships of children with their parents and other relatives are of fundamental importance in children’s emotional growth. They also profoundly affect their moral and physical growth as well as their upbringing and education. In international documents, spending time with relatives and cultivating such relationships is considered a basic right of children. Iranian law also contains numerous provisions aimed at protecting parent-child relationships as well as the rights of both parents and children, especially regarding issues of child custody and access, and supports these relationships and rights with a system of penalties. However, as a result of ambiguities and legal loopholes, the judiciary system is confronted with practical problems. This paper surveys the above mentioned problems and demonstrates that the law relating to the relationship between children and their close relatives is in need of modification. These changes encompass the following: effecting an change in the essential nature of the relationship between a parent and a child and to view as “duty” of a parent the right s/he has to that relationship; extending relationships not only with parents but also with other relatives; raising of the age that is seen by legislators as requiring support; taking into consideration the child’s wishes in respect to access (to other relatives); the provision of specialist counseling support along with the enforcement of family court verdict. The proposed changes are intended as prevention against the adverse effects of forceful access and, ultimately, child abuse, and as guarantee of retribution [in cases of abuse].