Difference Between Child Protection and Safeguarding

Child Protection vs Safeguarding
 

Realizing that children are vulnerable to harms, both physical and mental, governments and agencies the world over have been working to safeguard the interests of children through many welfare policies and programs. While earlier the child protection was the phrase used to encompass all welfare activities undertaken by the government led agencies to help protect children from harassment at all levels, it is safeguarding that is being used more often these days to refer to these activities. There are people who fail to appreciate the differences between child protection and safeguarding. This is what this article aims to clarify.

Child Protection

Welfare activities of organizations designed to protect children from sexual abuses, psychological abuses, and physical abuses, as also to protect them from neglect of any kind collectively are known as child protection. This program aims to protect all children who are either suffering or are likely to suffer at the hands of parent or others who are close to them. Child protection as a concept is derived from Plato’s thinking where he advocated state’s intervention to take away kids from the custody of their parents and place them in the custody of the governmental agency, to look after their needs.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a concept that has taken precedence over child protection, as it is wider in impact and reach and prevents impairment of health and development of kids by intervening earlier. Safeguarding ensures there is no maltreatment of children at all levels and that they grow up in circumstances that are in line with the provisions of the state. The program has been quite successful in ensuring safety of children.