Legislation, Policy and Procedure: A Critical Study of The Child Protection Law in Kuwait

The aim of this study is to critically explore the effects of pre-existing norms on the establishment of child protection policies in Kuwait, as well as to deliver an analysis of the timeline of the formation of the Child Rights Law (CRL), taking into account the role of institutional and administrative capacities in the country. The subject is analyzed using the concepts of policy diffusion theory as well as family structure theory. Child abuse occurs in all societies in both developed and developing nations. Although the inevitability of child protection is commonly acknowledged, the pathways to recognize the problem vary from one country to the other. This study is based on a research review that highlights aspects of childhood, family, and violence in Kuwait. A parliament debate about child abuse and the lack of national regulations led to the suggestion for a child law establishment in 2013. Finally in March 2015 the CRL was approved, and it was passed in January 2016. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the law was established and what will lead to its implementation. Investigation of documents has been embraced to comprehend the problem. Various countries have different understandings of child abuse; therefore nations react differently to this subject. Even though Kuwait is ranked in the top 10 richest countries according to its GDP per capita, there are multiple other factors that play a meaningful role is the way child abuse is looked upon, such as: the welfare system, socioeconomic situations, culture, and religion