Reporting on Children by Age: IPSO Clause 6 & Ofcom Protection | UK JournoHub

Q: What does IPSO Clause 6 require when reporting on children?

IPSO Editors' Code Clause 6 prohibits interviewing or photographing a child under 16 on subjects involving their own or another child's welfare without parental or guardian consent. It also requires care to avoid identifying child victims of crime. Clause 6 applies even to children in public spaces if the story relates to their welfare.

Q: Can a 16 or 17 year old consent to a media interview without parental consent?

The legal position in the UK is that a 16 or 17 year old has capacity to consent to many decisions, but IPSO Clause 6 extends parental consent obligations to under-16s specifically. For 16-17 year olds, the NUJ and IPSO guidance recommends seeking parental consent wherever practicable, particularly on sensitive subjects. The child's own consent is always required, regardless of parental consent.

Q: What special considerations apply to school-based reporting?

Schools are responsible for the children in their care. A school cannot grant consent on behalf of a child or their parents. If a journalist wishes to interview or photograph children on school premises, parental consent is required. Schools may ask journalists to leave if they attend without prior arrangement. Photographing children in school uniform in public spaces requires care — the NSPCC advises against it without parental consent where children are identifiable.

The Child Protection Framework

Children and young people require enhanced protection in journalism because they lack the full legal and cognitive capacity to assess the long-term consequences of media exposure. IPSO Editors’ Code Clause 6 is the primary regulatory framework for print and online publishers: it prohibits interviewing or photographing a child under 16 on subjects involving their own or another child’s welfare without parental or guardian consent. Clause 6 also requires journalists to take care to avoid identifying child victims of crime and not to approach children at school without consent.

For broadcast journalism, Ofcom Broadcasting Code Section 1 (Protecting the Under-Eighteens) and Section 7 (Fairness) apply. Ofcom requires that children’s welfare is protected and that they are not used in programming in ways that are unfair or harmful. The BBC Editorial Guidelines include detailed provisions on interviewing children, child interviewees in news, and the prohibition on broadcasting content that identifies child victims of crime.

The NUJ Code requires journalists to act with particular care when dealing with children and young people, and to take their vulnerability into account. The NSPCC provides guidance on responsible media coverage of child-related issues. Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 creates a lifelong legal prohibition on identifying child victims of sexual offences.

Age-Based Consent Framework

Under 16 — Full parental consent required

For children under 16, IPSO Clause 6 requires parental or guardian consent before the child is interviewed or photographed on subjects involving their welfare or another child's welfare. The child's own assent should also be sought: a child who does not wish to participate should not be pressured to do so even with parental consent. The parental consent requirement applies in public spaces if the story relates to the child's welfare.

16-17 — Parental consent recommended

IPSO Clause 6 specifically covers under-16s. For 16-17 year olds, the young person has greater legal capacity, but NUJ and IPSO guidance recommends seeking parental consent wherever practicable, particularly on sensitive or welfare subjects. The young person's own consent is always required. Do not rely solely on parental consent: the young person must agree to participate.

Child victims of crime — identification prohibited

IPSO Clause 6 requires care to avoid identifying child victims of crime. For sexual offences, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 s.1 creates a lifelong prohibition on publishing material likely to identify the victim, continuing into adulthood unless the victim (at 18+) waives anonymity in writing.

Young people in court proceedings

The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s.39 allows courts to prohibit identification of under-18s in proceedings. Youth courts sit in private; reporting restrictions apply automatically. Identifying a defendant under 18 in youth court proceedings without an s.39 order lifted is a criminal contempt.

Red Flags

⚠Interviewing or photographing an under-16 on welfare subjects without parental consent
⚠Obtaining parental consent but failing to seek the child's own assent
⚠Photographing children at school without prior arrangement and parental consent
⚠Publishing material that could identify a child victim of crime or sexual offence
⚠Identifying a young defendant in youth court proceedings without checking reporting restrictions
⚠Accessing children on social media without awareness that the account holder may be under 16
⚠Publishing images of children obtained from family social media without consent

Children Reporting Checklist

I have confirmed the age of any child I am seeking to interview or photographFor under-16s on welfare subjects, I have obtained parental or guardian consentI have sought the child's own assent independently of parental consentThe child has been told they can stop the interview or refuse any questionI have considered whether identification serves a genuine public interestI have checked for any reporting restrictions in proceedings involving the childImages of the child will not be published in ways that could expose them to harmI have not accessed the child through social media without awareness of ageMaterial that could identify a child victim of crime has been removed or masked

Reporting Restrictions & Consent Tools

Use the Reporting Restrictions Checklist to verify court-imposed anonymity orders, and the Defamation Risk Checklist where child identification may give rise to other legal risks.

Reporting Restrictions Checklist →IPSO Clause 6 in Full →

Common Mistakes

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Treating school as a neutral public space: Schools are responsible for children in their care and can be held accountable if a journalist gains inappropriate access. Approaching children on school premises without arrangement and parental consent puts both the school and the journalist in an ethically and potentially legally difficult position.
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Conflating parental consent with child consent: A parent who consents on behalf of their child is not giving the child's own consent. A child who is uncomfortable, distressed, or reluctant during an interview should not be pushed to continue simply because a parent has agreed.
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Assuming social media images are freely usable: Images of children posted by parents or family members on social media are not in the public domain for unlimited publication. Using them to illustrate a news story — particularly a story about the child — requires consent and careful consideration of whether identification serves the public interest.
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Failing to check court reporting restrictions: Youth court restrictions are automatic. Crown Court restrictions on children require a s.45 order under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, but these are common. Always verify restriction status before naming or identifying any under-18 in court proceedings.

Related Guides

IPSO Editors' Code

Clause 6 in full — children and young people

NUJ Code of Conduct

NUJ obligations on reporting involving children

Children & Young People

Broad ethics guide for youth reporting

Intrusion into Grief

Approaching bereaved families including children

Primary Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What does IPSO Clause 6 require when reporting on children?

IPSO Clause 6 prohibits interviewing or photographing a child under 16 on subjects involving their own or another child's welfare without parental or guardian consent. It also requires care to avoid identifying child victims of crime. Clause 6 applies even in public spaces if the story relates to the child's welfare.

Can a 16 or 17 year old consent to a media interview without parental consent?

IPSO Clause 6 covers under-16s specifically. For 16-17 year olds, NUJ and IPSO guidance recommends seeking parental consent wherever practicable on sensitive subjects. The young person's own consent is always required, regardless of parental consent.

Can I identify a child victim of crime?

Generally no. IPSO Clause 6 requires care to avoid identifying child victims of crime. For sexual offences, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 creates a lifelong legal prohibition on publishing material likely to identify the victim.

What special considerations apply to school-based reporting?

A school cannot grant consent on behalf of a child or their parents. If a journalist wishes to interview or photograph children on school premises, parental consent is required. Photographing children in school uniform in public spaces requires care where children are identifiable.

Reporting on Children by Age: Consent & Protection