The 66th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child was held 26 May – 13 June 2014. The Committee reviewed progress towards prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment in all the states examined and made the following observations and recommend:

• India. The Committee noted the prohibition of corporal punishment in education and care institutions but expressed concern that prohibition in school applies only to 2-14 year olds, that there is no prohibition in non-institutional care settings or in the penal system throughout the state party, and that corporal punishment continues to be widely used in the family and other settings. The Committee recommended explicit prohibition of all forms of corporal punishment in all settings throughout the territory, together with comprehensive public education, promotion of positive, non-violent discipline, strengthening of complaints mechanisms, and systematic legal procedures against perpetrators of child abuse.
• Indonesia. The Committee reiterated its previous recommendations (2004) to prohibit corporal punishment in all settings, including the family and carry out relevant public education campaigns. The Committee expressed concern about violence in schools, including by teachers, and recommended that measures be taken to end corporal punishment.
• Jordan. The Committee expressed concern that despite recent reform, the Criminal Code still provides for parents to discipline children within “culturally acceptable norms” and that a 2012 survey found 89% of children had been subjected to violent “discipline”. The Committee recommended the repeal of article 62 of the Criminal Code and prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings, together with sustained public education, the promotion of positive, non-violent discipline, and the engagement of society in the design and implementation of preventive strategies against corporal punishment.
• Kyrgyzstan. The Committee expressed concern at the ineffective implementation of laws prohibiting corporal punishment in schools and other institutions and at the lack explicit prohibition of corporal punishment in the home and foster care. The Committee recommended that corporal punishment be legally prohibited in all settings, including the home, and that the provision of effective enforcement measures.
• St Lucia. The Committee regretted that some previous recommendations – including on corporal punishment – had not been fully addressed. It noted efforts to consult on school corporal punishment but expressed concern that it is still seen as a lawful way of disciplining children and is widely used in the family and other settings. The Committee recommended strengthening and expanding awareness raising on the issue, the promotion of non-violent parenting and education, and the amendment of legislation to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in the family, schools and institutions.

For further details see the Global Initiative’s individual country reports for India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan and St Lucia.

The Committee’s recommendations relating to corporal punishment are available here.