On January 21st and 22nd, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child will examine Spain’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the international treaty recognizing all persons under the age of 18 as rights-holders whose interests must be prioritized.
Among the documentation that the Committee will use to assess Spain is a report by the Coordinadora de Profesionales por la Prevención de Abusos (CoPPA), which raises concerns about children’s participation in hunting activities involving firearms in the country.
CoPPA denounces that Spanish legislation allows adolescents from the age of 14 to use firearms for hunting and that, in several autonomous communities, children may be present as companions in hunting activities where firearms are used. “Five autonomous communities even explicitly permit the presence of children from birth in such contexts”, the organization notes. According to CoPPA, this situation violates the principle of the best interest of the child and the right of children to be protected from all forms of violence.
The document, prepared by a multidisciplinary team, presents findings from numerous studies and provides a detailed account of the serious risks associated with exposing children and adolescents to hunting activities involving firearms. These include threats to their physical integrity linked to access to firearms, including adolescent suicide, as well as risks of psychological harm resulting from witnessing violence and serious accidents that can occur in such settings.
CoPPA also emphasizes that, in these settings, adult supervision does not mitigate many of these risks and may, in some cases, exacerbate them.
Access to firearms constitutes a significant risk factor for accidental injury and death among children and adolescents. In the context of hunting activities, both access to firearms and proximity to shooting substantially increase the likelihood of serious accidents, with potentially tragic consequences. In an annex to its report, CoPPA documents multiple cases of children and adolescents injured or killed in hunting-related firearm accidents in Spain, including incidents involving family members or adult supervisors.
Several studies indicate that areas and contexts with greater access to firearms are associated with higher rates of adolescent suicide. Among this population, access to firearms represents a particularly high-risk factor. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable due to developmental factors such as impulsivity, with some research suggesting that, for this age group, access to firearms may pose a greater risk than depression.
Firearms used for hunting are of particular concern in cases of suicide among minors, with studies reporting increases in both firearm-related suicides and overall child and adolescent suicide rates during the hunting season. As noted by CoPPA, the majority of firearm-related suicides involving children and adolescents are committed using weapons owned by family members.
Exposure to violence, including violence inflicted on animals, may result in chronic anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma. As noted in CoPPA’s report, some children exposed to the violence inherent in hunting activities may experience a significant emotional impact, particularly when such violence is exercised or endorsed by adult role models.
Children and adolescents exposed to hunting with firearms may also witness grievous injuries or fatalities resulting from firearm accidents, which can have profound negative consequences for their mental health. These effects are especially severe when the victims are family members or other close individuals, or when the incident is caused by the child themselves. Cases documented by CoPPA in the annex to the report, including that of a boy who fatally injured his father, illustrate the frequency and seriousness of such hunting accidents in Spain and highlight the traumatic situations to which children may be exposed in these contexts.
Exposure of children and adolescents to violence against animals increases the likelihood of developing attitudes that legitimize aggression and raises the risk of conduct problems, including bullying and juvenile delinquency. Children may acquire aggressive behaviours through observation and imitation of adult role models, particularly when they perceive that such violence confers social recognition, approval, or status. These behaviours can subsequently generalize to other contexts. The risk is further heightened when exposure occurs alongside biological vulnerabilities or other adverse life experiences.
Given the current situation, CoPPA urges the Committee on the Rights of the Child to call on the Spanish authorities to revise regulations in order to effectively prohibit, throughout the country, the use of firearms by persons under the age of 18 in hunting activities, as well as their presence at such activities as companions.
The association underscores that the rights of the child, as enshrined in the international treaty ratified by Spain, take precedence over all other interests and must not be subordinated to other considerations, particularly those of specific sectors such as hunting. “While the Government of Spain, together with other public authorities, has the obligation to ensure the protection and promotion of the best interest of the child, this obligation is not being fulfilled,” it stated.
