Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / August 2005

Joint Statement on Physical Punishmentof Children and Youth

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Child Welfare League of Canada
Family Service Canada
Canadian Child Care Federation
Canadian Institute of Child Health
Canadian Public Health Association
Canadian Association for Young Children

[[ and of course, the researcher that lived in Sweden and observed the
results of the law there prohibiting the physical disciplining of
children...

Joan E. Durrant

Position:
Associate Professor

Office:
University of Manitoba
Department of Family Social Sciences
313C Human Ecology

(you may view her vitae at:

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/human_ecology/family/Staff/joan_durrant.shtml
)

... Public attitudes
Although physical punishment is common, several studies suggest that
many Canadian parents think that it is not constructive. Only 2% of
parents surveyed in 1988 7 believed that physical punishment is the
most effective way to change children's behaviour, while more than
three-quarters believed that physical punishment is harmful to children
and unnecessary.

Similarly, the majority of a sample of mothers of preschoolers in
Manitoba and Ontario believed that physical punishment is ineffective,
unnecessary and harmful 5. Fewer than one-third of Canadians surveyed
in Manitoba and Ontario viewed physical punishment as a reliable method
of increasing obedience, learning or respect for the parent.

In fact, a majority believed the most common outcome of physical
punishment is parental guilt or regret 4. A survey of more than 1000
parents in the United States revealed similar findings. More than 60%
believed that spanking will not lead to better self-control and is
likely to lead to increased child aggression 14 ...

The entire statement is at:

http://www.cheo.on.ca/english/pdf/joint_statement_e.pdf

Historically adults, who were themselves brutalized, have brutalized
children who went on to do the same to new children. The end of this,
historically, is quite recent, and in fact in many parts of the world
it still persists.

We can expect some difficulty in convincing those that "just know it
feels right to hit children and call it discipline," given the weight
of centuries of this savage practice. Yet, the time is coming, as it
has to other nations and cultures, to end it.

Let us hope that we are next.

Kane