Prohibiting corporal punishment of children in the Caribbean ...

MessagesJean ZermattenI am always surprised to hear parents, politicians, the media, education specialists and governmentofficials assert that violence against children constitutes a scourge that must be fought withdetermination – while at the same time the same people justify corporal punishment, usingversions of these arguments that have long been well-known:“A slap every once in a while never hurt anyone.”“My parents used it and see how well I turned out.”“The right to correction is a natural right.”“Physical punishment is ‘tough love’.”Chair, UN Committee on the“How can I impose discipline if I can’t even spank my child?”Rights of the Child… As if to indicate that this practice, being socially accepted must therefore be good!But the consensus among specialised circles is clear: physical punishment is “ineffective from a pedagogical stance,questionable from a moral stance, and bearing serious consequences from a medical and psychological stance” (Balestra, C.(2008), L’interdiction légale des châtiments corporels au sein de la famille / The legal interdiction of corporal punishment in the family,IDE, Bramois, 44-55).A change of mindset seems necessary to me so that all citizens, acting in all contexts, become aware of the negative effectof corporal punishment and other cruel and degrading forms of punishment on the development of the child. To achieve this,a clear decision on behalf of the legislative power, following the example of Sweden, the first country to introduce an explicitlegal ban in 1979, is the first step towards the realisation of the values which found this new norm.We must be coherent: we cannot hit children with one hand whilst preaching the eradication of violence against children. Itis a question of common sense. In addition, I refer myself to many international recommendations in the field, in particular tothose of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in its General Comment No. 8 on “The right of the child to protection fromcorporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment” (CRC/C/GC/8, 2006) and to those in the report of theindependent expert for the United Nations Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children (A/61/299, 2006).I invite all adults to become aware of the detrimental effects of this violence towards children and to adopt positiveeducational attitudes. I urge governments to explicitly prohibit all corporal punishment, in all contexts, including in thefamily.The dignity of the child and the integrity of the educational process are at stake.I have often heard people suggesting that the efforts to end corporal punishment and otherforms of humiliating punishment are a minor matter. I must emphasise that this is not so; it is offundamental importance not only for children but for societies’ development that the authoritiesact to prohibit and eliminate it in an appropriate and decisive manner. All violent punishment mustbe prohibited because it violates children’s rights to personal integrity and human dignity, to beprotected from all forms of violence.These rights are recognised in the UN Convention on Rights of the Child and other internationalhuman rights treaties. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Inter-AmericanRosa María Ortiz Commission and Court on Human Rights have clearly interpreted states’ obligations. In ratifyinghuman rights instruments, states commit to take all necessary measures to ensure the humanRapporteur on the Rightsrights of all people, without any kind of discrimination.of the Child, Inter-AmericanCommission on Human Rights Nowadays, there is a better understanding of the harmful physical and psychological effects onchildren of violent punishment. Our societies and legal systems do not tolerate violence as a way ofpersonal interaction or conflict resolution among adults. Children are not second-class citizens; on the contrary, they deservespecial protection from their family, society and the state. States must send a clear message by urgently prohibiting all formsof violence against children, including violence disguised as discipline. States must also support parents and others in directcontact with children in raising them without violence, using positive discipline that respects children’s rights.2 Prohibiting corporal punishment of children in the Caribbean: