Analysis of Preventive Policies in Iranian Law Regarding Parental Responsibility for Children's Digital Mental Health
Subject Areas : مسئولیت مدنیMehrangiz Rakabdar 1 , Kazem Khosravi 2
1 - Student of Master’s Degree in Private Law, Department of Law, Ahrar Institute of Higher Education, Rasht, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
Keywords: Preventive Policies in Iranian Law, Digital Parenting, Parental Responsibility in Cyberspace, Children's Digital Mental Health, Right to Mental Health.,
Abstract :
Digital mental health of children has become one of the fundamental challenges for legal systems and policy-making in recent decades. The proliferation of digital technologies and the significant presence of children and adolescents in online spaces have further intensified the importance of parental responsibility in ensuring their digital mental well-being. Using a descriptive-analytical method and based on document analysis, this paper examines the existing preventive policies in Iranian law and analyzes their effectiveness in mitigating psychological harms caused by cyberspace. The findings indicate that while higher-level documents and existing laws have sporadically addressed the role of parents and the necessity of protecting children online, no coherent and systematic framework based on a digital mental health approach has yet been established. The novelty of this research lies in proposing a three-dimensional model (legal, institutional, and cultural) to elucidate parental responsibility in this domain, along with legislative and institutional reform recommendations. The effectiveness of preventive policies necessitates designing a coordinated system among families, legislation, protective institutions, and technology to, while enhancing parental media literacy, prevent digital psychological harms in children and adolescents. Finally, the study offers solutions to enhance parental accountability and strengthen preventive policies.
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