This article investigates the victimization of children and adolescents through the dual lenses of criminology and victimology, with the objective of critically evaluating the systemic shortcomings in Iran’s legal and administrative frameworks concerning child protection. The concept of victimization—interpreted both narrowly and broadly—constitutes the analytical foundation of this inquiry, which concentrates on the mistreatment of minors within familial settings, on public thoroughfares, and in labor environments.
Drawing on statutory instruments and policy texts, including the National Document on the Rights of the Child and Adolescent and the Executive Bylaw of Article 6 of the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents, the study scrutinizes their protective efficacy and gauges their congruence with the prevailing socio-legal realities confronting vulnerable minors. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the research is grounded in doctrinal analysis, secondary literature, and indirect empirical observation via purposive sampling in contexts such as child labor, street involvement, and informal waste collection.
These case examples illuminate patterns of exploitation, sexual and physical maltreatment, as well as educational and healthcare neglect, thereby underscoring the systemic and situational dimensions of child victimization. The synthesis of theoretical discourse and empirical indicators reveals that, notwithstanding legislative advancements, the protective and preventive mechanisms in place have yielded suboptimal results. This is attributed to institutional fragmentation, inadequate enforcement protocols, and pervasive socioeconomic constraints.
In response, the article argues for a recalibration of policy formulation rooted in empirical realities, reinforced by robust oversight structures, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and the implementation of targeted, evidence-based interventions. Such reforms are imperative to curtail the perpetuation of harm and to foster a legal environment more attuned to the rights and needs of at-risk children.