PETALING JAYA: Children’s identities should be protected in media reports as they can have a damaging effect on the child’s future, says the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
Its Children’s Commissioner Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said that cases involving children in conflict with the law should not be sensationalised or amplified.
“We believe that in some cases, the reporting methods can be improved.
“There is a tendency to treat cases involving children as similar to adults where the facts of the case are highlighted to get public attention,” she said at a press conference at Suhakam’s headquarters yesterday.
She said there were recent reports where too much information about the child was revealed and photographs were shown.
“The reporting approach should be different for cases involving children, as regardless of the child’s position, the primary consideration is the best interest of the child,” she added.
Farah Nini said that Section 15(1) of the Child Act 2001 prohibits the media from identifying children involved in legal conflicts.
“Whether the child is a victim, perceived to have offended the law, or is a witness in legal proceedings, they have the right to be protected under Section 15 of the Child Act,” she said.
Section 15(2) also prohibits the media from publishing photos of the child involved.
Farah Nini said that when the identities of the child are known, they become the “talk of the town” for years.
“This creates a stigma that sticks to the child, regardless of how much they change,” she added.
She also noted that many studies have shown that children are much more amenable to turning over a new leaf compared with adults.
“It is important not to stigmatise the child, as they deserve a second or third chance,” she said.
Farah Nini said that when reporting about children, one must view them as someone who is not mature yet.
“So, when they do something, they don’t think about the long-term effects or the consequences, because scientifically, they have not achieved that cognitive ability (yet),” she said.
Moreover, for children who commit crime, the factors that cause them to get involved are usually poverty or the breakdown of the family, as many come from single-parent families.
These children don’t receive proper supervision from their parents, she said, and less than 5% of child offenders are from average family backgrounds.
