Major Al Buflasa: Bahrain Leads with Pioneering Child and Family Protection Efforts

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Mohammed Darwish

Raising awareness is a potent tool in shielding children from harm, especially in guiding their character and steering them clear of online hazards.

This principle lies at the heart of a nationwide campaign focused on protecting children from online exploitation and extortion.

With backing from the Ministry of Interior, the Public Prosecution, and other vital organisations, the campaign aims to make the internet a safer place for Bahraini children, embedding digital safety habits into the minds of the younger generation.

While online exploitation and cyber extortion are not rampant in Bahrain, it’s essential to understand what it means to guard children from these online dangers. Major Dr Abdullah Nasser Al Buflasa, head of the Legal Awareness Team at the Ministry of Interior, explained it as “seizing control over the victim and using their vulnerability for sexual, financial, or social ends through technological systems.”

To address this, the Ministry of Interior has taken up a proactive approach to crime prevention, pouring resources into advanced technologies to ensure the community’s safety.

They’ve established a Cyberspace Child Protection Unit and set up family and child protection offices across police directorates throughout the country. The goal is to nurture a safe environment where communities can flourish, with a shared understanding that protecting society is a collective responsibility.

Al Buflasa noted that Bahrain’s adherence to child protection agreements, alongside national laws, "has helped in reducing crimes against children." Bahrain’s strategy for family and child protection is robust, bolstered by advanced laws and systems inspired by the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, shaping the practices of communities.

Internationally, Bahrain plays an active role, particularly through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and its two optional protocols. Domestically, laws have been updated or introduced to reflect global standards prioritising children’s well-being.

These include the Child Law, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law, the Family Law, and the Corrective Justice Law for Children.

The latter lays out how children should be treated within the legal framework, with provisions for juvenile courts, a child judiciary committee, and support mechanisms for children at risk.

This legal structure is designed to protect children by clearly defining which agencies should handle reports of children at risk. It serves to reduce the number of children exposed to abuse and danger, acting as a deterrent to such crimes.

Al Buflasa also stressed the essential role parents play in shielding their children from online or sexual exploitation. In Bahrain, a child is defined as anyone under eighteen.

Any form of exploitation or abuse—be it physical, psychological, sexual, or economic—can be seen as neglect by the guardian, which may lead to legal action.

He added that the Corrective Justice Law for Children sets out the conditions under which a child is considered at risk and the protective measures that can be taken.

These include placing children in training and rehabilitation programmes, social care institutions, or specialised hospitals.

The law also regulates child protection and abuse prevention through the Child Protection Centre, which works closely with the Ministry of Interior, the Public Prosecution, and civil society organisations.

The goal is to protect children from harm, offer them support, and help them reintegrate into society, whether they are victims or on the verge of offending.