A Multi-pronged Approach to Ending Physical Punishment of Children in the United States
Individuals have a moral responsibility and a role in ending physical punishment of children.
- We must resolve not to hit our own children and to be knowledgeable about positive alternatives to physical punishment.
- We should use terms that reflect the real nature of physical punishment like "hitting" rather than euphemisms like "swats" or "pops".
- In our professional roles, we should tell parents and caretakers not to hit children and provide alternatives.
- We should support legal and educational reforms that lead to ending physical punishment of children.
Educational Institutions and Professional Organizations have a role in ending physical punishment of Children
- Teacher Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Counseling, Nursing, medical education and all human services programs should integrate knowledge about the negative effects of physical punishment and the benefits of positive alternatives into the curricula.
- All professional organizations should have a position statement opposing the physical punishment of children and work for and support public policy and legal reform which leads to the elimination of physical punishment of children.
States and Communities have role in ending physical punishment of children.
- Physical punishment in schools should be banned.
- Programs on the negative effects of physical punishment and the benefits of positive alternatives should be part of required training for teachers, staff and students in public schools.
- Programs on the negative effects of physical punishment and the benefits of positive alternatives should be available and accessible to all parents.
- All professionals with mandated reporting responsibility for child abuse should have appropriate training in the negative effects of physical punishment of children and the benefits of positive alternatives.
- State laws should be reformed to make it a misdemeanor to strike a child.
The federal government can help end physical punishment of children.
- The Senate should ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- The Surgeon General should establish a national blue ribbon task force on physical punishment of children and begin an educational campaign to end its use in all settings including homes.
- Congress should require the prohibition of physical punishment in all laws regarding schools; foster care, institutional care and child care as a condition of federal funding.
- All federally funded parent education programs should provide training on the negative effects of physical punishment and the benefits of positive alternatives.
- Child abuse prevention grants should require that state programs focus activities on eliminating parental physical punishment of children and supporting positive alternatives.
Adopted by the EPOCH-USA Advisory Board, June 2005.