The activities of the Youth Welfare Office for the protection of children and young people are summarised under the umbrella term "youth protection". Youth protection means recognising dangers for children and young people as early as possible and taking appropriate countermeasures.

The town of Olsberg does not have its own youth welfare office; this is located in the Hochsauerland district.

Statutory youth protection involves compliance with statutory youth protection regulations.

The local regulatory authority is responsible for monitoring compliance with the provisions of the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz -JSchG).

On 1 April 2003, a new Youth Protection Act with extensive new regulations came into force. This obliges traders and event organisers to comply with age limits when selling certain goods and admitting people to certain events.

The key points of the new Youth Protection Act are

• Computer games and cinema and video films must be age-rated. These image carriers may only be distributed to children and young people of the labelled age.
• The bans on media that are seriously harmful to young people, especially those with depictions of violence, have been extended and tightened. Even without indexing by the Federal Review Board, media that glorify war, depict people in a way that violates human dignity or show young people in unnatural, sexually emphasised postures are subject to far-reaching bans on sale, distribution and advertising.
• The competences of the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Young Persons have been extended. In addition to all conventional media, it can now also index all new media - with the exception of broadcasting.
• Tobacco products may not be sold to children and young people in restaurants, sales outlets or in public, nor may they be allowed to smoke.
• There is also a ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising in cinemas before 6 pm.

Definitions:

Children:
Persons under the age of 14.

Adolescents:
Persons who are 14 but not yet 18 years old.

Person with parental authority:
Anyone who is entitled to personal care alone or together with another person in accordance with the provisions of the German Civil Code (parent/guardian).

Person with parental responsibility:
Any person over the age of 18 who performs parental duties on a permanent or temporary basis on the basis of an agreement with a person with parental responsibility or who looks after a child or young person in the context of education or youth welfare.

Further information:

Further information on this topic can also be found at

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

and at

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kindern- und Jugendschutz (AJS)