Throughout the world, children and teenagers are seen as a group that needs special protection. That is because you are young and should remain unharmed until you are older and more able to cope with life and what it throws at you.

But not all people agree that young people are special and should be laughing instead of crying and learning instead of doing nothing, and have times for play and relaxation.

That is why there are laws around the world and in South Africa that have been written to protect you. These laws are clear and should be obeyed. Much like rules that your parents have in the house to make sure that you don’t just do what you want, the government has rules (laws) used to govern the country. These rules and laws set limits and outline exactly what you can and can’t do.

As children and teenagers, it is very important that you start learning about your rights and responsibilities NOW. This means getting to know how the law protects you, why you should follow the law and setting boundaries for how you want to be treated and what is acceptable treatment of others.

Rights & Responsibilities

Our Constitution is the most important document in our country. It gives us rights and responsibilities that we are entitled to as citizens of South Africa.

Constitution

The Constitution is a group of principles that contains the highest law of the land. These principles must be respected and obeyed by all.

Bill of Rights

Chapter 2 of the Constitution contains the Bill of Rights. This is the section of the Constitution that contains fundamental rights and freedoms that are protected by the Constitution. They are also known as Human Rights.

Human rights are the right that every human being has, regardless of race, gender or background. By being included in the Constitution it means that they are guaranteed to everyone and cannot easily be taken away. These rights may only be restricted if it is in the interest of society to do and if the restriction is reasonable.

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