Round up: activities and articles marking International Day to #EndCorporalPunishment 2024
International
On International Day to #EndCorporalPunishment of Children Lao PDR Government officially announced it had become the 66th state worldwide and the first in the ASEAN region to prohibit all corporal punishment of children!
‘What does it take to end corporal punishment of children?’ Webinar hosted by End Corporal Punishment. Save the Children, UNICEF and WHO explored international perspectives on social and behavioural change strategies to end violent punishment of children. Watch the recording here.
Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Ann Skelton, shared a message on the International Day to End Corporal Punishment. 2024: Let's end violence against children!
Article: It is time to end corporal punishment everywhere and keep our 2030 promise to children (who.int) – Etienne Krug, Director, Department of Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization
Save the Children International called for faster progress to end corporal punishment. “At current rate, 60 years needed to meet 2030 target for global ban to protect children.”
The Center for Global Development published new policy note and research - Legislating to Prevent Violence against Children: Corporal Punishment Bans Are Necessary but Not Enough
The Global Partnership for Education, Center for Global Development, UK Government Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, UNICEF, USAID, and Coalition for Good Schools call for education sector to prioritise safe schools and many international education organisations and donors called for an end to corporal punishment in school – here, here, here, here , here and here.
Regional
South Asia organisations released a statement calling for faster progress towards ending corporal punishment in the region.
The Council of Baltic Sea States update their Registry of Practices that work to #EndCorporalPunishment against children and promote non-violent childhoods.
Bangladesh
Article: Ending corporal punishment needs a change in mindset | The Daily Star
Article: Punishment hampers the mental development of the child | Kalbela
Article: We want to abolish punishment for children to create a peaceful society. Prothom Alo
And social media campaign coordinated by Shishurai Shob (Children at the Centre).
Save the Children share work with children to improving child protection in Cox’s Bazar Province - Bangladesh: A society in which children's rights are protected (savechildren.or.jp)
Cambodia
Article: Children confront violence at school
Canada
Bill C273 (as amended) that would achieve prohibition of all corporal punishment of children was passed in the Justice Committee.
Hong Kong
Article: It is time to ban corporal punishment in Hong Kong (hongkongfp.com)
Kenya
Teachers against corporal punishment host a live talkshow.
Tushinde Children’s Trust continues its work promoting positive parenting and discipline, and calls for an end to violent punishment. It has actively engaged around 1000 parents in parent-school meetings and trained over 100 teachers on positive discipline in the past four months.
India
Article: Chief Justice of India speaks out about the long term harm of corporal punishment on children - 'Will Never Forget That Day At School': Chief Justice Chandrachud Shares Story Of Corporal Punishment (outlookindia.com)
Nepal
Legal Literacy Nepal publish report on corporal punishment in Nepalese schools
Pakistan
Cities for Children collaborated with the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, focusing on ending violence in classrooms, releasing a poster unpacking the ecosystem of support for kids, and running a teacher training workshop on 29 April.
A panel of child protection experts and civil society organizations working to protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation urge the Government of Punjab to pass legislation prohibiting corporal punishment in all government, private and religious educational institutions - Enactment of Law to Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Punjab Urged by Child Protection Experts - The Opinion
Peru
Accion por los Ninos and partners in the national forum to end violence against children held an event highlighting the impact of violence including corporal punishment on the lives of children and adolescents.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe makes public commitment to prohibit all corporal punishment of children.
UNICEF Sri Lanka hosted a panel discussion with youth, legal experts & health practitioners to champion positive discipline and build a fear-free future for children of Sri Lanka. Watch the recording of the discussion here.
Tanzania
A webinar organised by Save the Children in partnership with WILDAF – TZ and Jamii Forums focused on the prohibition of school corporal punishment in Mainland Tanzania. Speakers highlighted the legality and magnitude of school corporal punishment. Children shared their views on corporal punishment and called for its prohibition. The event was attended by 1,000 participants!
Uganda
Article: https://sunrise.ug/news/education/202405/corporal-punishments-dont-work-teachers-urged-to-opt-for-alternatives.html - a teacher calls for an end to corporal punishment.
Article: High Sound for Children call for an end to violent punishment of children - Corporal punishment ends with you | Monitor
United Kingdom
University College London, the NSPCC, Barnardo’s and the Nuffield Foundation publish a new research briefing on physical punishment of children in the UK
The British Medical Journal calls for clarity in UK law - Clarity in the law is needed to stop physical punishment of children | The BMJ
Article: One in five 10-year-olds in the UK experience physical punishment, reports study (msn.com)
United States of America
On International Day to EndCorporalPunishment Illinois Senate Education Committee voted to ban corporal punishment in private schools, aiming to ensure the practice is prohibited in all schools (Bill HB 4175).
Article: Michigan State University College of Education writes: How corporal punishment is used in U.S. schools—and how to stop it - News (msu.edu)
Young people with the Mississippi Coalition to End Corporal Punishment speak up to end corporal punishment.
Thank you to everyone who took part in calling for an end to corporal punishment of children on or around 30 April! Together we are making progress towards non-violent childhoods!
We know there may be activities and articles missing from this list. Let us know what we missed and we will add it!