Sanction facts for kids

A sanction is a word with two opposite meanings, which can be a bit confusing! It can mean giving official permission for something, like when a parent sanctions a sleepover. But it can also mean a punishment or a rule to stop something from happening, like when a teacher sanctions a student for breaking a rule. The meaning depends on how it's used.

Sanctions in Government and Law

In government and law, sanctions are usually about rules or punishments. They are often used to make people, groups, or even countries change their behavior.

Legal Penalties

• Sanctions (law) are penalties given by courts. For example, a judge might order someone to pay a fine or do community service if they break a law. These are ways to make sure people follow the rules.

Economic Sanctions

• Economic sanctions are like a ban on trade. A country or group of countries might stop trading with another country. This is done to pressure that country to change something it is doing.
  • For example, they might stop selling certain goods, like weapons.
  • Sometimes, they might allow important things like food or medicine to still be traded so that ordinary people are not hurt too much.
  • Famous examples include:
    • Sanctions against Iran: These have been used to try and stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
    • Sanctions against North Korea: These aim to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and missiles.

International Sanctions

• International sanctions are strong actions taken by one country or a group of countries against another country or specific people. The goal is to make them change their actions.
  • These measures can include stopping trade, travel bans, or freezing money.
  • An example is International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Many countries have put sanctions on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine.

Historical Decrees

• A pragmatic sanction was a very old type of important rule or law made by a king or queen. It was a serious decree that had the power of a basic law.

Sanctions in Arts and Media

The word "sanction" also appears in titles of books and movies, often referring to a permission or a secret operation.

• The Eiger Sanction is a thriller novel from 1972 by an author named Trevanian.
  • The Eiger Sanction is a movie made in 1975 based on that book.
  • The Loo Sanction is a sequel to The Eiger Sanction, published in 1973.
• In some video games, like Star Wars: The Old Republic, "Account Sanctions" are punishments given to players who break game rules.

Other Uses of Sanctions

• Sanctions are also a way that society controls how people behave. This is called social control. For example, if you do something good, you might get a positive sanction like praise. If you do something bad, you might get a negative sanction like being told off.

See also

• Sanctions involving Russia
• Sanctioned name: This is a special term used in the study of fungi (mycology) for certain scientific names.
• Wikipedia:Sanctions: Rules and actions taken on Wikipedia to make sure users follow the guidelines.