PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM INFORMATION HARMFUL TO THEIR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSIA
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM INFORMATION HARMFUL TO THEIR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSIA

Summary/Abstract: Addressing the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on 30 November 2010, the President stated that modern children are highly proficient in navigating the world of communication. Later, the President signed Federal Act on the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to their Health and Development. Given the level of development in mass communication and information technologies in the modern world, parents and teachers are often unable to protect children from information that is negative or may be harmful to their health and development. Too much brutality and violence in the public media may give children a skewed perception of the world and contribute to their wrong and even dangerous attitudes. The Federal Act is aimed at protecting children from the influence of destructive and traumatizing information, as well as from the information capable of cultivating vicious propensities in a child. The law prohibits information that may elicit fear, horror or panic in children, as well as information which justifies violence and unlawful conduct. It also prohibits the uncontrolled dissemination of information that could make children want to use drugs or alcohol, or incite them to harm themselves or their health. This federal Act is one of the legislative acts aimed at creating conditions for the full-fledged moral and spiritual development of children. This Act promotes the formation of each child as a harmonious and psychologically stable personality, as well as careful and competent education of children based on the ideas of kindness and fairness. This Act does not aim to shield children from the problems and difficulties of modern life, or to create the illusion that there is no evil, violence, or death in the world. However, it is imperative for children to acquire this information when they are capable of understanding and accepting it, and this must be done in a delicate, age-appropriate manner, so that this information does not harm their mental health. For example, even small children can be told about violence but sympathy must be expressed toward the victim and children must be taught that ultimately, good always conquers evil. In accordance with the Federal Act, the experts with the highest level of professional training and knowledge in the field of education, developmental psychology, developmental physiology, and children’s psychiatry will assess whether a given information product is capable of harming the health and development of a child. Therefore, this Fed Act is an additional guarantee for the protection of children in Russia.

• Details
• Contents