What do the BBC Editorial Guidelines require when children or young people take part in content (consent, welfare, identification, impact over time)?
The BBC puts a child contributor's welfare above any editorial need. Working with under-18s requires a contributor due-care risk assessment, consent the child can understand, and parental consent for under-16s (except non-sensitive questions). Producers must avoid 'jigsaw identification', where several details combine to identify a child, and consider the impact after publication.
The BBC puts a child contributor's welfare above any editorial need. Working with under-18s requires a contributor due-care risk assessment, consent the child can understand, and parental consent for under-16s (except non-sensitive questions). Producers must avoid 'jigsaw identification', where several details combine to identify a child, and consider the impact after publication.
Curator qualifications: Standards read 2026-10-22; no programme assessed; not legal advice.
Limitations: Standards read 2026-10-22; no programme assessed; not legal advice.
Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.
Structured fields
{
"citations": [
{
"url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/children-and-young-people-as-contributors/guidelines",
"note": "BBC Editorial Guidelines Section 9 Children and Young People as Contributors (9.4.16-9.4.21)"
}
]
}Evidence claims
- [sourced_fact] The BBC puts a child contributor's welfare above any editorial need. Working with under-18s requires a contributor due-care risk assessment, consent the child can understand, and parental consent for under-16s (except non-sensitive questions). Producers must avoid 'jigsaw identification', where several details combine to identify a child, and consider the impact after publication. · locator: BBC Editorial Guidelines Section 9 Children and Young People as Contributors (9.4.16-9.4.21) source
Rights
| component | license | hosting | redistribution | modification | training | Evidence and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| documentation | unknown | permitted | permitted | unknown | unknown | Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources. |