Standards for the Protection of Minors – a new effective form of protecting children from violence or an unpleasant obligation?

The article analyses the institution of the Standards for the Protection of Minors, introduced by the amendment of the Act of 13 May 2016 on counteracting threats of crime of a sexual nature and on the protection of minors, which aims to create a coherent system of prevention and response to violence against children. The normative foundations, the scope of obligations imposed on the addressees of the regulation, and the mechanisms for implementing the standards in entities operating for the benefit of children are discussed. The analysis indicates the dual nature of the regulation: on the one hand, it constitutes an innovative and comprehensive tool for the protection of children’s rights; on the other, it burdens obligated entities with numerous organizational and training duties, the implementation of which takes place under conditions of insufficient informational and educational support. Consequently, the Standards for the Protection of Minors appear as an instrument with the potential for effective protection against violence, which, however, in practice is often perceived and implemented in a formalistic manner, reducing its genuine preventive function.