The victimization of children and adolescents constitutes one of the most pressing challenges confronting contemporary societies and necessitates heightened and targeted attention within legal and social protection frameworks. With the development of supportive victimology, increased emphasis has been placed on safeguarding child and juvenile victims, an approach that has been progressively reflected in international instruments as well as the domestic legislation of many jurisdictions. Iranian lawmakers have likewise drawn upon this paradigm, introducing various statutory measures aimed at the specific protection of children and adolescents. This legislative trajectory culminated in the enactment of the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents (1399 [2020]), which expressly addresses the protection of children and adolescents who are either exposed to risk or have become victims of criminal conduct.
The aforementioned law criminalizes a broad spectrum of acts and omissions in order to safeguard fundamental rights, including the right to education, physical and mental health, sound upbringing, moral integrity, and access to fair judicial proceedings for children and adolescents. This article undertakes a critical examination of the strengths and deficiencies of the existing legal framework, while also identifying the principal challenges associated with its enforcement and practical application. Employing a descriptive–analytical methodology and drawing upon library-based and documentary sources, the study explores the structure and rationale of differentiated criminalization as embodied in the 1399 Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents.
In pursuit of this objective, relevant international instruments, domestic legal provisions, and prior scholarly works are examined, and a legal as well as critical assessment of the law is presented. The findings demonstrate that the enactment of this legislation represents a significant advancement in reinforcing the penal protection of children and adolescents. Nevertheless, the law continues to face notable challenges, including gaps in the comprehensiveness of certain provisions, inadequate enforcement guarantees, and shortcomings in implementation at the operational level. In conclusion, the article proposes a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing and consolidating supportive and preventive mechanisms. These proposals include strengthening enforcement structures, promoting education and awareness among children and adolescents, families, and relevant professionals, and expanding access to specialized support and psychological services for child and adolescent victims.