DHARm
OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS ON
HOW TO
NURTURE AND RAISE CHILDREN
Update on Corporal Punishment
Worldwide
ICELAND, April 2003: In March of 2003, Iceland's
government passed a new law called the Children's Act which calls for "The
total abolition of corporal punishment of children by making it unlawful in
the home." Article 28 of the new Act states: "It is the parents' obligation
to protect their child against any physical or mental violence and other
degrading or humiliating behavior."
UKRAINE AND ROMANIA, June 2004: On January 1, 2005, a new Law on the
Protection and Promotion of the Rights of the Child in Romania will come
into force. The law was originally passed by the Romanian Parliament on June
15, 2004, and it prohibits all corporal punishment. Similarly, the Ukraine
enacted a new Family Code in January, 2004, that bans all corporal
punishment.
CANADA, January 2005: The news release says, "A Joint Statement on
Physical Punishment of Children and Youth has been developed by a national
coalition of organizations in Canada. Based on an extensive review of
research, the Joint Statement provides an overview of the developmental
outcomes associated with the use of corporal punishment: 'The evidence is
clear and compelling - physical punishment of children and youth plays no
useful role in their upbringing and poses only risks to their development.
The conclusion is equally compelling - parents should be strongly encouraged
to develop alternative and positive approaches to discipline.' " Presently
the criminal code in Canada allows parents, teachers and some other careers
to use reasonable force to correct children. However, a judgment of the
Supreme Court in January 2004 strictly limits corporal punishment.
SIERRA LEONE AND MALTA, January 2005: Both these countries have
commissions that have recommended that corporal punishment be abandoned in
both schools and the home environments.
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The Global Initiative aims to:
-
form a strong alliance of human rights
agencies, key individuals and non-governmental organizations against
corporal punishment;
-
make corporal punishment of children
visible by building a global map of its prevalence and legality, ensuring
that children's views are heard and charting progress towards ending it;
-
lobby state governments systematically to
ban all forms of corporal punishment and to develop public education
programmes;
-
provide detailed technical assistance to
support states with these reforms
"A CHILD SHALL BE BROUGHT UP IN A SPIRIT
OF UNDERSTANDING, SECURITY AND LOVE. A CHILD SHALL NOT BE SUBDUED,
CORPORALLY PUNISHED, OR OTHERWISE HUMILIATED. A CHILD'S GROWTH TOWARDS
INDEPENDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY AND ADULTHOOD SHALL BE ENCOURAGED, SUPPORTED
AND ASSISTED". (Finland's Child Custody and Right of Custody Act 1983)
You can visit the web site of the above
word-wide initiative called
END
ALL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN
by clicking on the hilite of the name... |