The rights of children and adolescents: a study from the regulations in the Ecuadorian context

Abstract

The rights of children and adolescents in Ecuador are supported by various legal and regulatory sources, such as the Constitution, international treaties, the Code of Children and Adolescents, and the LOEI, among others. However, the effective application of these provisions is limited, which does not guarantee the well-being and comprehensive development of this population. This article is the result of the diagnosis of the research project “Quality of the educational process”, carried out by students and teachers of the Basic Education program at the Instituto Superior Espíritu Santos in Guayaquil. Its objective is to characterize the current state of the rights of children and adolescents in Ecuador; revealing a series of challenges and problems that affect them. One of the most violated rights in the country is access to quality and warmth education, due to socioeconomic inequality, the precariousness of educational infrastructure, discrimination and social exclusion, which affects school dropouts and affects their integral development. Furthermore, child labor, violence and child abuse are major concerns that require urgent attention and preventive measures. This study follows a qualitative methodology, it is a descriptive research, based on a bibliographic review and the use of various scientific methods. Concluding that, despite the solid legal basis in Ecuador, full compliance with the rights of children and adolescents, and their comprehensive development are not achieved consistently and efficiently in practice.