Save the Children Deutschland e.V.
Berlin/Geneva (ots)
According to Save the Children, only one in seven children worldwide is legally protected from corporal punishment. This is the most common form of violence against children, ranging from slapping to extreme abuse.
On the occasion of the International Day of Non-Violent Parenting on Sunday (June 30), Save the Children is calling for the worldwide abolition of all forms of corporal punishment by 2030 in order to achieve one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Children in 134 countries are still not legally protected from caning in all walks of life.
Corporal punishment is the violent and degrading punishment of children by parents, teachers and caregivers. Thousands of children die each year as a result of this form of violence and many more are seriously injured. Many forms of corporal punishment applied to adults would qualify as torture. This includes threats of violence, punches, kicks, shaking, burns, and being forced to remain in uncomfortable positions.
Zambia passed legislation in November 2022 giving children protection from violent punishment. “Baning corporal punishment is an important step. It sends a clear message that violence against children will not be tolerated, but the hard work has only just begun,” said Jo Musonda, Save the Children’s Zambia country director. “The new law needs to be explained, enforced and closely monitored. We are working with leaders, communities and teachers to challenge entrenched ways of thinking and behaving and to promote a non-violent upbringing.”
In Nepal, where caning has been banned since 2018, Save the Children is working with communities to help implement the law. “It starts in the families,” says Ashmita, a 13-year-old child activist with Save the Children in Nepal. “We draw attention to the problem with street plays and posters to help the children affected. Nobody should use violence against children.”
Violent and degrading punishment affects a child’s mental development and emotional well-being, which can lead to long-term mental health problems. Corporal punishment has also been shown to increase antisocial and aggressive behavior, which can carry over into adulthood.
Save the Children has already successfully lobbied for a law change in Pakistan leading to a ban on corporal punishment in educational institutions in Sindh (2017) and Islamabad (2021). However, despite the ban, cases of children being severely beaten in schools are still being reported, and two provinces still have no laws banning corporal punishment.
“We continue to advocate for changes in the law across Pakistan to protect children from appalling abuse,” said Muhammad Khuram Gondal, Save the Children’s Pakistan country director. “Children tell us that they are reluctant to go to school because of beatings and humiliation. Corporal punishment can have a devastating impact on children’s education, with children often dropping out of school.”
“Although protection from corporal punishment is a human right enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, many countries do not abolish corporal punishment,” said Steve Miller, director of global child protection at Save the Children International. “All states must respect children’s rights and prohibit all forms of corporal punishment.”
* Name changed for protection
Note to the editor:
More information on the current figures can be found here:
Countdown | Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (endcorporalpunishment.org)
Über Save the Children
In the post-war year of 1919, British social reformer and children’s rights activist Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the Children to save children in Germany and Austria from starvation. Today, what is now the largest independent children’s rights organization in the world is active in around 120 countries. Save the Children works for children in wars, conflicts and disasters. For a world that respects the rights of children, in which all children can live healthy and safe lives and grow up and learn freely and independently – for over 100 years.
Press contact:
Save the Children Deutschland e.V.
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Marie Sophie Schwarzer
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Original content from: Save the Children Deutschland eV, transmitted by news aktuell
