El menor trabajador y menor delincuente: Consecuencia atribuible directamente al Estado

Abstract

In Colombia, the increase in the rate of working, law-breaching children and adolescents is the result of numerous socio-cultural factors which have not yet been dealt with. Such situation constitutes the direct consequence of an evident lack of public policies which can improve the socio-economic conditions of families, generate jobs and, above all, provide high-quality education. In comparison with Latin-America and Europe, Colombia has been lagging behind in terms of the fight against school dropout, the rise of laboring children and the presence of minors in criminal activities. Whether the State should be regarded as the main responsible for this problem is a fairly under-debated issue by authorities. This is particularly pertinent since the principle of co-responsibility set forth in Article 10 of the 1098 law (2006), in a preferential manner, initially transfers the duty of safeguarding the integral rights of children and adolescents to families and the society before the State. Therefore, it is in the light of the above-mentioned matter that I attempt to raise awareness of these issues among both regional and national authorities, and among public and private institutions in order to promote the creation of policies which can efficaciously guarantee an integral quality of life for children and adolescents. This implies having access to health services, a proper nutrition, sport and recreation, culture and art and especially education