Human Rights Challenges of Children in Detention: A Qualitative Study from Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives in Zambia

Abstract

This study examines the human rights challenges faced by children in detention in Zambia from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Guided by the interpretivist paradigm, the study employed a qualitative descriptive design to explore lived experiences and institutional practices affecting detained children. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with correctional officers, parents, and teachers (n = 15), selected using purposive heterogeneous sampling. Thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke (2006), was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal that children in detention experience systemic human rights violations, including restricted freedom of movement and assembly, engagement in punitive labour, limited access to education, and constrained family interaction. These conditions negatively affect psychological well-being, social development, and reintegration outcomes. Drawing on child welfare theory, the study argues that detention practices in Zambia remain predominantly punitive and inconsistent with international child rights standards. The study recommends strengthening oversight mechanisms, expanding access to education and psychosocial services, and promoting non-custodial alternatives to detention. The findings contribute to ongoing debates on juvenile justice reform in developing contexts.