Awareness on Republic Act No. 7610 Among High School Students at Wesleyan University Philippines: Focus on Articles VIII (Working Children) & IV (Child Trafficking)

Awareness on Regulations Among High School Students

Abstract

This research described the level of awareness of 215 Wesleyan University-Philippines high school students regarding Article VII and Article IV of Republic Act No. 7610 otherwise known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. The researchers found that the high school students at WUP are fully aware of how important it is for employers to protect the health, safety, and well-being of child workers. On the other hand, the students only slightly agreed that children should be allowed to work at all times. This suggests that they are concerned about how it might affect the children's education and development. Some respondents agreed that it is important to get clear permission from the child, their guardian, and the right authorities before signing an employment contract in the public entertainment or information industries. However, most of them agreed that the protection and well-being of child workers should come before giving them unlimited work opportunities. Also, the students strongly support stricter measures to prevent child trafficking, which show that they are fully aware of the problem and agree that something needs to be done. There is, however, a clear lack of information and agreement among the students about the specific punishments for individuals involved in child trafficking. This gap shows the importance of educating schools about the legal consequences of trafficking children and how important it is to have harsh penalties for people who try to do it.