Criminological approaches from the perspective of child victimization with a tolerant and supportive perspective with an emphasis on the theory of blue criminology

In recent years, with the increase in international human rights-based perspectives, child victimization has been considered as one of the most serious challenges of criminal justice. In the meantime, the newly emerging theory of “blue criminology” focusing on specific victims, including children, seeks to provide a new approach to reinterpret national and international criminal policies in the field of supporting this vulnerable group. The main question of this research is what capacities does the blue criminology theory provide for strengthening and reforming the criminal protection system for children in the Iranian legal system? Considering the position of children in new theories of victimology and existing legislative challenges, utilizing the scientific capacities of blue criminology and adapting it to international documents, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, can pave the way for a transformation in the Iranian legislative system in order to more effectively support child victims. The present article is descriptive-analytical and was conducted using a library method. The research sources include international human rights documents, domestic laws, and theoretical works related to blue criminology. The theoretical framework of this research is based on the blue criminology approach, which, by emphasizing the concept of "vulnerability" in victimology, analyzes child victimization from a structural and contextual perspective. The findings show that the ۲۰۱۰ Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents has taken an effective step towards improving criminal protection compared to previous laws, but there are still gaps in the training of officers, support institutions, and the institutionalization of child-centered justice. The results of the research show that this theory can serve as a theoretical basis for reforming Iran's criminal policy towards child victims.