At its 97^th session in September 2024, the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued recommendations and observations on the prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment of children to Armenia, Israel, Mexico and Turkmenistan.

To Armenia and Mexico, the Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that both States explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all settings, including in the home, alternative care settings, day care facilities and penal institutions.

The Committee recommended that Mexico revise its Federal Civil Code to repeal parental authorities’ “right to correct”:

“Recalling its general comment No. 8 (2006) on the right of the child to protection from corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment, the Committee urges the State party to:

a) Ensure that corporal punishment of children is prohibited in all settings, including home, schools or educational institutions, day cares, penal and alternative care facilities;

b) Expedite the amendments related to prohibition of corporal and humiliating punishment in all states in order for the General Act on the Rights of Children and Adolescents to come into effect;

c) Repeal the parental authorities’ “right to correct” from Article 423 of the Federal Civil Code 1928, which contradicts the provisions banning corporal punishment;

d) Conduct awareness-raising campaigns for parents and professionals working with and for children to promote behavioural change, within the family and the community, with regard to corporal punishment and promote positive parenting.”

(16 September 2024, CRC/C/MEX/CO/6-7, Advance unedited version, Concluding observations on sixth-seventh report, para. 28)

Note: In December 2020, the Mexico General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents 2014 was amended to prohibit corporal punishment of children and adolescents in all settings. However, the amended law will come into force only after all 31 states of the country have enacted state laws prohibiting corporal punishment of children in all settings. Currently, only 21 states have amended their laws. Read more in our Country Report on Mexico.

Israel and Turkmenistan have achieved full prohibition of corporal punishment, respectively in 2000 and 2002. The Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that both prohibiting States promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline.

In its recommendations to Turkmenistan, the Committee said:

“Recalling its general comment No. 8 (2006) on corporal punishment and concerned about the persistent physical punishment experienced by children, the Committee urges the State party to:

a) Establish protocols and procedures to address corporal punishment, including child-sensitive and confidential complaint mechanisms, particularly in schools and alternative care settings, to ensure safe reporting to competent authorities;

b) Continue to promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline by implementing evidence-based programs and evaluating their outcome on a regular basis;

c) Intensify awareness-raising campaigns for parents and professionals working with and for children to promote attitudinal change within the family and the community with the aim to end corporal punishment of children.”

(16 September 2024, CRC/C/TKM/CO/5-6, Advance Unedited Version, Concluding observations on fifth- sixth report, para. 23)

Find out more about the recommendations in our individual country reports for Armenia, Israel, Mexico and Turkmenistan.

Further information

• Access more information about the 97^th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child here.
• Find out what the Convention on the Rights of the Child says about corporal punishment.