The year 2015 witnessed a milestone in progress towards universal prohibition of corporal punishment of children: now, more than half of UN member states have achieved prohibition in all settings, including the home, or are committed to doing so. In total, 48 states have now prohibited all corporal punishment and Governments in another 52 states have made a commitment to full prohibition.

This latest global progress report from the Global Initiative and Save the Children Sweden charts the growth in the list of states prohibiting, and making a commitment to prohibiting, all corporal punishment. It considers prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment in the context of the new Sustainable Development Goals, particularly target 16.2 under which states have committed to work to “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” It also describes growing faith-based advocacy for reform and ever mounting research making visible this most common form of violence against children.

Packed with facts and figures – the good and the bad – as well as setting out the relevant international human rights standards and what the obligation to protect children from corporal punishment means in terms of law reform, this report is intended to provoke and support continued advocacy on the issue.

A limited number of hard copies is available for advocacy use, contact info@endcorporalpunishment.org.

Global report 2015