Eliminating corporal punishment: a human rights imperative for Europe’s children (2nd edition)

Eliminating corporal punishment - A human rights imperative for Europe's children sheds light on the controversial issue of corporal punishment of children. It approaches this topic from four different angles: the legal and human rights obligation, as defined by regional and international conventions and agreements, to ban corporal punishment of children; the status of corporal punishment in European countries today; recent research results on its effects and prevalence, including how children see it; and the abolition of corporal punishment as a process, entailing changes in law, policies and public opinion. Physical punishment is an accepted form of child discipline in far too many countries, and challenging this widespread form of violence against children may be unpopular with both politicians and parents. Yet hitting children, even mildly, is a violation of children's basic human rights - the right not to be subjected to degrading treatment or punishment and the right to equal protection under the law. This work is for child and family professionals, government decision makers and a public motivated to learn more about this topic. For those already convinced, this book will add fuel to their convictions and provide substantiated arguments for abolition; for others, it is to be hoped that it will enable them to understand better the inherent legal and moral contradiction of disciplining children with violence.