Corporal punishment of children: summaries of prevalence and

Corporal punishment of children:
summaries of prevalence and attitudinal
research in the last 10 years
Prepared by the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment
of Children (www.endcorporalpunishment.org,
[email protected])
Afghanistan
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), 74.4% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than two
thirds (68.4%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (40.9%) of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Nearly four children in ten
(38.4%) experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being
hit over and over with an implement), 61.5% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at,
yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Central Statistics Organisation & UNICEF (2012), Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010-2011: Final Report,
Kabul: Central Statistics Organisation & UNICEF
Surveys carried out in three government schools in Jalalabad and 20 government schools in Mazar-iSharif in 2008 found very high levels of physical punishment, with children punished in 100% of
observed classes in boys’ schools and 20% in girls’ schools. Humiliating punishment including verbal
abuse was also very common, and children were often authorised by the school to beat other children.
Being beaten with a stick was identified as the most common method of “discipline” for both girls and
boys. Over 50% of teachers believed they had the right to beat students, and the vast majority of teachers
believed physical punishment was essential and unavoidable. However there was a strong desire among
the majority of teachers to learn alternatives to physical punishment. Following legal prohibition of
school corporal punishment in 2008 and a two year project which aimed to develop and implement child
protection systems in the schools in question, including through monitoring and reporting mechanisms
and education and training of teachers and children, the prevalence of physical and humiliating
punishment fell.
Abdul Ahad Samoon, A. A. et al (2011), Learning without Fear: A Violence Free School Project, Save the Children & Federal
Republic of Germany Foreign Office
Qualitative research into adults’ perspectives on everyday physical violence against children in the
family, published in 2008, involved interviews with more than 200 men and women from 61 families in
urban and rural areas in four provinces, plus 56 focus group discussions and 46 interviews with key
informants. The study found that violence against children is widely used and recognised, though to a
significant degree is not regarded with approval. Physical violence existed within all 61 case study
families, most commonly slapping, verbal abuse, punching, kicking, and hitting with thin sticks, electrical
cables and shoes. More unusual types of violence included shooting at children, tying them up, washing
them in cold water outside during winter and public humiliation. Corporal punishment was inflicted on
children as young as 2 or 3 years. No clear difference between punishment of boys and of girls was found,
but men were perceived as having more “rights” to be violent towards children than women in the family.
Smith, D. J. (2008), Love, Fear and Discipline: Everyday violence toward children in Afghan families, Kabul: Afghanistan
Research and Evaluation Unit
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Albania
According to a 2010 analysis by UNICEF of statistics collected in 2005-2006, 52% of children aged 2-14
had experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home
in the month prior to the survey. Half the children experienced physical punishment while a much smaller
percentage (6%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 70% of children. Nine per cent of children
severely physically punishment (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 12% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline: 55% compared to
48%. Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than other children: 57% of 5-9
year olds compared to 46% of 2-4 year olds and 49% of 10-14 year olds. Children living in households
with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent discipline than
those living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent
discipline were found according to household size or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
In a 2009 survey of 195 parents of children attending two schools and two kindergartens, 59% agreed that
slapping a child or pulling their ear would not harm them; 51% believed that people slap children “for
their own good”, 34% thought that if children were not slapped, they would be out of control, and 29%
agreed that “if you talk to a child and they don’t obey, you should slap them”. However, 77% disagreed
that corporal punishment is a good way of disciplining children; 68% disagreed it is the only way to
discipline some children, and 80% disagreed that hitting makes a child a decent human being. Nearly
three quarters (74%) of parents agreed that corporal punishment is absolutely harmful, 79% agreed that
corporal punishment should be banned completely.
Karaj, T. (2009), Parents’ Beliefs about Corporal Punishment of Children, Tirana: Save the Children in Albania
A 2009 survey of 92 teachers working in two schools and two kindergartens found that 30% of teachers
believed that people slap children “for their own good”, 21% that if children were not slapped they would
be out of control and 11% that children must be slapped because they make mistakes; 21% agreed that “if
you talk to a child and they don’t obey, you should slap them”. Nearly nine teachers in ten (89%)
disagreed that corporal punishment is a good way to discipline children; 78% disagreed that corporal
punishment is the only way to discipline some children, and 84% disagreed that hitting makes a child a
decent human being. Eight teachers in ten agreed that corporal punishment is absolutely harmful, 78.4%
believed that it should be banned completely.
Karaj, T. (2009), Teachers’ Beliefs about Corporal Punishment of Children, Tirana: Save the Children in Albania
According to statistics collected in 2005-2006 by UNICEF, children with disabilities were more likely
than children without disabilities to have experienced severe physical punishment in the home in the prior
to the survey: 12% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or
hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement, compared with 8% of children without
disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A 2006 study involving 1,500 children, 1,500 parents and 1,500 teachers in eight districts of Albania
found a high prevalence of corporal punishment in homes and schools. Common forms of violence
including pulling children’s ears (experienced by 60.1% of children at least once at home within the last
year, 38.5% of children in school within the last year), pinching (55.7% at home and 36.9% at school),
hitting children with an object (53% at home and 51.8% at school), smacking with an open hand on the
body (52.6% at home and 34.3% at school) and head (49.2% at home and 35.6% at school). When asked
about the kinds of violence they experienced often, children mentioned having their ears pulled (18.5%
experienced this often at home and 38.9% at school), being pinched (15.9% at home and 23.5% at school)
and being smacked on the head (15.2% at home and 26.3% at school). At school, approximately one in
three children reported often being forcibly pushed/pulled and often being hit on the body with an object.
Other reported forms of violence included being punched in the head (7.6% at home), grabbed by the
throat (12.2% at home, 9.6% at school) and bitten (19.1% at home, 12.8% at school); 27.7% of children
had been bruised by violence at home, 24.5% made to bleed, 21.9% made dizzy, and 7.9% had lost
consciousness. Violence in social care institutions was found to be particularly frequent and severe.
Reported forms of violence in institutions included being kicked (78.9%), smacked in the head (68.4%),
hit with an object (68.4%), punched on the body (66.7%), grabbed by the throat (35.2%), and punched in
the head (25%); 44.5% of children in institutions had been made to bleed by corporal punishment, 42.2%
made dizzy, and 16.7% had lost consciousness.
Tamo, A. & Karaj, T. (2006), Violence Against Children in Albania, Tirana: Human Development Centre
A 2012 Save the Children end project evaluation examined support for statements commonly used to
support corporal punishment of children, such as ‘Whoever hits the child, does it for his/her best’.
Support for this statement was seen to decline among teachers over 3 years of project implementation. In
Durrës district, over 32% of teachers agreed with the statement and 58% disagreed in 2009; in 2012,
support had fallen to 15.4% and over 80% of teachers disagreed with the statement. Similarly in Elbasan
district, support for the statement declined from 24.1% in 2009 to 14.7% in 2012, while disagreement
with the statement grew from 51.8% to 85.3% in the same time.
Di Maio, M. A. & Buka M. (2012), Violence against Children in Schools and Families in Durrës, Elbasan and Berat Districts:
End Project Evaluation, Final Report, Tirana, Albania: Save the Children
Algeria
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 87% of children aged 2-14 had
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Three quarters of children experienced physical punishment, while a much
smaller percentage (16%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing; non-violent discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 90% of children. A quarter
of children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over
with an implement) and 84% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed
at or insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline: 89% compared
to 87%. Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than other children:
90% of 5-9 year olds compared to 85% of 2-4 year olds and 87% of 10-14 year olds. Children in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline: 88% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 82% in households of 2-3 people. The statistics also suggest that children with more
siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the study. No
significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to level of
education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Research reported in 2008 found that of 1,700 Algerian families, 70% whip their children and use
violence for disciplinary reasons. The most commonly used implements in corporal punishment were
found to be rocks and shoes; parents also reported using their hands to beat children’s faces and heads.
Punishments often resulted in injuries and bruising.
Reported in Echorouk Online, 6 January 2008
According to a 2012-2013 survey, 71% of children age 2–14 years were subjected to physical punishment
during the month preceding the survey, with 23% of children subjected to severe physical punishment. In
contrast, only 18% of respondents believed that physical punishment is needed to educate a child. A total
of 86% of children were subjected to at least one form of psychological or physical punishment by their
parents or other adult household members, while 9% of children experienced only non-violent discipline.
Ministère de la Santé, de la Population et de la Réforme Hospitalière, UNICEF & UNFPA (2015), Suivi de la situation des
enfants et des femmes: Enquête par Grappes à Indicateurs Multiples (MICS) 2012-2013, Algiers, Algeria: Ministère de la Santé,
de la Population et de la Réforme Hospitalière
Argentina
A report on the human rights violations perpetrated against approximately 25,000 people – children and
adults – detained in Argentina’s psychiatric institutions documented many beatings and prolonged use of
isolation in cells.
Mental Disability Rights International & Center for Legal and Social Studies (2007), Ruined Lives: Segregation from Society in
Argentina’s Psychiatric Asylums
Surveys carried out in 2002-2004 examined the attitudes of children and adults in Argentina, Brazil,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela towards physical punishment. In Argentina, 293 people were
surveyed (201 adults and 89 children). Nearly a third (32.6%) of the children and over half of the adults
(52.1%) agreed that children should not be physically punished or that “punishment does not solve
anything”, and 27% of children and 15.6% of adults agreed that physical punishment is “very bad” or
“makes children violent”. Over half (53.9%) of children and 79.6% of adults thought that physical
punishment is never necessary.
Save the Children Sweden & Instituto de Encuestas y Sondeos de Opinión (2005), Sistematización de las Encuestas Sobre la
Perceptión del Castigo Físico en Seis Países de America Latina, presentation: Managua, 16 May 2005
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011-2012, 72% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent
“discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Nearly half (46%) experienced physical punishment and 65% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A much smaller percentage (4%) of
mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Armenia
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2011, 70% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey, 72% of boys and 74% of girls.
UNICEF (2013), The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
The 2010-2011 report of the Public Monitoring Group on the situation in the special education institutions
of the Ministry of Education and Science, which studied 13 “special boarding schools” providing
alternative care to children, found that staff were violent towards children and encouraged children to
punish one another.
Reported in Armenia Now, 16 January 2013
In April 2014, a visit by the Ombudsman's office as a National Preventive Mechanism revealed physical
and other humiliating punishment of children in boarding institutions for children's care. For example,
during the visit children were punished by being forced to stand during the study process and being hit
across the fingers with a pen; children were intimidated by management and would not approach them
when dealing with conflicts with each other. As a result, the Director of the Boarding Care Institution was
dismissed, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of RA, as well as the Head of the responsible
Department received admonitions.
Information provided to the Global Initiative by the Human Rights Defender Institution of the Republic of Armenia, 19 August
2014
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 70% of children aged 2-14
experienced “violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Forty-three per cent experienced physical punishment and 66% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A much smaller
percentage (3%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Australia
In a 2012 report by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 514 educators –
around 60% of the 883 educators involved in total – reported having used restraint on children with
disabilities. Restraints included tying children up, forcing them to the floor and other physical force.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (2012), Held back: the experiences of children with disabilities in
Victorian schools, Victoria: Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
In 2012, the Education Department of Western Australia approved confining 19 primary school children,
most of whom had intellectual disabilities, in unfurnished “time-out” rooms.
Reported in The Sunday Times, 12 January 2013
A 2012 civil society report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities documents
evidence of the use of “restrictive practices”, including being thrown to the ground and pinned down,
solitary confinement and chemical restraint, against children with disabilities in mainstream and special
schools.
Australian Centre for Disability Law et al (2012), Disability Rights Now: Civil Society Report to the United Nations Committee
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
In a 2012 online poll of more than 12,000 people, 92.47% replied “no” to the question “should smacking
a child be a criminal offence?”
Reported in The Daily Telegraph, 4 February 2012, www.dailytelegraph.com.au
In a 2011 online poll of more than 4,000 people, 85% of parents admitted smacking their children.
Reported in news.com.au, 12 September 2011
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In a survey of over 300 children and young people carried out in 2010 by the ACT Children & Young
People Commissioner, 57% of children and young people said it was “not ok” for parents to smack their
children, 37% said it was “sometimes ok”, and 2% said it was “ok”. Of those children and young people
who thought that it was “ok” or “sometimes ok” for parents to smack their children, 49% said that it was
ok to smack a child to “punish the child”, or to “teach the child a lesson” (29%), or if the child was “at
risk of hurting themselves” (16%). Very few children and young people thought that it was ok to smack a
child “when the parents are angry” (3%), to “make the parents feel better” (1%), or “whenever the parents
want to” (1%). Additionally, 46% of children and young people thought that parents smacking their
children “maybe” should be banned, 38% said that it “should” be banned, and 11% said that it
“shouldn’t” be banned.
ACT Human Rights Commission (2011), Children & Young People Commissioner Annual Report Summary 2010-2011
The Victoria Education Department investigated 187 cases of “inappropriate discipline”, including
“smacking”, in childcare centres between 2007 and 2009, despite corporal punishment being prohibited.
Reported by The Herald Sun, 11 April 2011, www.heraldsun.com.au
A 2009 study of all identified child homicides in New South Wales from 1991 to 2005 (165 homicides by
157 offenders) found that the most common cause of death was physical punishment, accounting for 36%
(59 deaths) over the 14 year period. In almost three in four cases, children had been beaten, thrown or
shaken to death by their parents/carers. Children below the age of one were more likely to be killed than
older children; the average age of the 59 children killed through physical punishment was 1.5 years. The
researchers, backed by the Australian Childhood Foundation, called for corporal punishment to be
prohibited: “More lives could be saved by measures that reduce the incidence of child abuse, including
the prohibition of corporal punishment of children.”
Nielssen, O. et al (2009), “Child homicide in New South Wales from 1991 to 2005”, Medical Journal of Australia, 190(1), 7-11,
www.mja.com.au/public/issues/190_01_050109/nie10592_fm.html
A review of “domestic discipline” cases under section 280 of the Criminal Code – which allows parents
to use “reasonable force” on their children – was undertaken by the Department of Justice and Attorney
General in Queensland. Of the 134 cases of “excessive discipline” in 2006-7, more than half (80 cases)
involved the use of implements, including cattle prods. In 85 cases children were hit on the head, in 36
cases punched, in 13 kicked.
Department of Justice and Attorney General (2008), Review of Section 280 of the Criminal Code, www.justice.qld.gov.
au/__data/assets/file/0013/21631/review-of-section-280-of-criminal-code.pdf
A federal government funded survey of over 500 adults by the Australian Council of State School
Organisations found that while most believed discipline in schools is too lax, few supported a return to
corporal punishment.
Reported in The Herald Sun, 10 October 2008
In a study involving interviews and focus groups with 31 8-17 year olds, children described the physical
and emotional pain which physical punishment causes. They said physical punishment is often inflicted
by adults who are angry and stressed and adults often regret it and feel guilty afterwards.
Saunders, B. J. & Goddard, C. (2007), “Some Australian Children’s Perceptions of Physical Punishment in
Childhood”, Children & Society, 22, 405-417
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A survey of parents in Queensland, conducted by the Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of
Queensland, and reported in 2007, found that 71% smacked their children occasionally. When asked how
likely parents were to use smacking as a punishment, 43% said they were likely or very likely to give a
single smack with their hand; 10% said they were likely or very likely to spank their child more than once
with their hand or another object.
Reported in Herald Sun, 19 May 2007
Telephone interviews with a representative sample of 720 adults (over 18) were carried out in 2006 by
Quantum Market Research on behalf of the Australian Childhood Foundation and the National Research
Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse at Monash University. The research found that 45% of
respondents believed it was reasonable to leave a mark on a child as a result of physical punishment
(compared with 55% in similar research in 2002). One in 10 believed it was appropriate to use
implements such as canes, sticks, belts, or slippers to punish a child (compared with 4% in the 2002
research); one in seven (14%) supported the use of a wooden spoon. Two out of five (41%) believed
smacking a child is effective in shaping his or her behaviour, while one in ten believed smacking a
teenager is an effective method of discipline. When presented with the statement that it is sometimes
necessary to smack a naughty child, 69% agreed, compared with 75% in similar research in 2002.
Tucci, J. et al (2006), Crossing the Line: Making the case for changing Australian laws about the physical punishment of
children, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia: Australian Childhood Foundation
Austria
A 2013 study found that 18-29 year olds, who grew up mostly after prohibition, were less likely to have
been slapped or smacked on the bottom by their parents than people over 30.
Spectra Marktforschung (2013), Gewaltverbot in der Erziehung: trendmessung zu 2009
A study involving focus groups and interviews with 104 13-22 year olds with experience of youth
custody in Austria, Cyprus, England, the Netherlands and Romania found that in Austria, young people in
custody experienced solitary confinement and imprisonment in dark, dirty basement rooms for up to two
weeks as punishment. Young people in pre-trial detention described a group of prison guards who were
considered to be particularly violent, the “Emergency Squad”, who used special grips on young people
and carried batons.
Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2013), Speaking Freely: Children and Young People in Europe Talk about Ending
Violence Against Children in Custody – Research Report, London: CRAE
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study carried out in 2008 examined the prevalence of corporal punishment and attitudes towards it
through interviews with 1,054 Austrian 12-18 year olds, 1,049 Austrian parents and 614 immigrant
parents (from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe) living in Austria. Compared to a
similar study in 1991, which involved 380 parents of children aged under 6, the study found that the
prevalence of corporal punishment had fallen: in 2008, 31.4% of Austrian mothers of children under 6
never used corporal punishment, compared to 8.5% in 1991; 4.1% used “light” corporal punishment such
as slapping and spanking “often”, compared to 30.5% in 1991. A large majority of all the groups
interviewed agreed that “a non-violent upbringing is ideal”: 88.3% of young people, 86.2% of Austrian
parents and 81.1% of immigrant parents. Ninety-six per cent of young people believed they had legally
defined rights, 78.1% of boys and 84.6% of girls were “sure” they had a right to an upbringing without
violence, and 41.2% of boys and 42.1% of girls were aware of the law prohibiting corporal punishment.
Of those who were aware of the law, 62.4% of young people had heard about it at school or other
facilities for children, and 70.8% of Austrian and 66.7% of immigrant parents had heard about it in the
media (TV, newspapers, radio and cinema).
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Familie und Jugend (2009) Familie - kein Platz für Gewalt!(?): 20 Jahre gesetzliches
Gewaltverbot in Österreich, Vienna: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Familie und Jugend
A study carried out in 2007 examined five European countries, Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Five thousand parents (1,000 in each nation) were interviewed about their use of and attitude
towards corporal punishment, their own experiences of violence and their knowledge and beliefs about
the law. Half (50%) of Austrian parents said they had “mildly” slapped their child on the face, 62% on the
bottom; 18% had given their child a “resounding” slap on the face, 4.4% had beaten their child with an
object. Around a third (30%) of Austrian parents never used corporal punishment; 89% agreed that “one
should try to use as little corporal punishment as possible”, and 86% agreed that “non-violent childrearing is the ideal”.
Bussmann, K. D. (2009), The Effect of Banning Corporal Punishment in Europe: A Five-Nation Comparison, Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg
A 2014 study presented 1,000 representatives of the Austrian population over the age of 15 with the same
statements presented in a similar study in 1977, in order to identify changes in attitudes to methods of
child-rearing and the broader impact of legal prohibition of violence. “A little slap now and again never
harmed a child” received the highest approval rating in 1977 with 85% deeming it a valid means of childrearing; only 4% thought it was wrong. By 2014, only 16% approved; almost every second interviewee
(48%) disapproved. The most likely group to agree were men over 50, while women between 40 and 49
had the highest disapproval rate. “One must physically punish children if they misbehave, lest they turn
soft or run wild” met with 89% disapproval in 2014; only 1% agreed. In 1977, 13% had agreed and a
further 23% had partially agreed with physical “discipline”. “It’s no big deal to lose one’s temper and
deal a slap here or there when a child is misbehaving” – the belittlement of hitting has seen a
considerable drop in approval, from 57% in 1977 to only 3% in 2014; disapproval for this statement
increased dramatically from 10% in 1977 to 77% in 2014, clearly illustrating a shift in attitude towards
the significance of hitting a child. “When adults are speaking, children should remain quiet” attracted
64% approval in 1997, while a further 28% partially approved. In 2014, only 16% of respondents agreed
with the statement and 66% partially agreed. This suggests a move away from a relatively dominant
authoritarian viewpoint to children’s participation, towards a more inclusive role for children.
Federal Ministry for Youth and Family (BMFJ) (2014), The Right to an Upbringing Free of Violence. 25 years of prohibition of
violence by law – an interim review, Vienna: Federal Ministry for Youth and Family (BMFJ)
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Azerbaijan
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 76% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Almost half (48%) experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller
percentage (18%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 93% of children. Nearly one child in
five (17%) experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or
being hit over and over with an implement) and 73% experienced psychological aggression (being
shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience
violent discipline: 79% compared to 72%. Children living in households with adults with a higher average
level of education were less likely to experience violent discipline than those living with less educated
adults. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
age, household size or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
Bahamas
A 2010 study involving a survey of 933 adults and 12 semi-structured interviews with adults examined
the coexistence in homes in the Bahamas of corporal punishment of children and other behaviours
including sexual abuse, illegal drug use, violence among adults in the home and hitting of pets. 77% of
respondents from households with children reported that “spanking” was sometimes used to discipline
them; 37% said children were spanked only when “very naughty”, 28% that they were spanked
“sometimes”, 26% “rarely” and 9.7% “often”. Of respondents in households where children were
spanked, 4.1% considered the spanking to be abuse. Violence between adults occurred more in
households where children were spanked “often” than where they were not spanked “often”.
Brennen, S. et al (2010), “A Preliminary Investigation of the Prevalence of Corporal Punishment of Children and Selected Cooccurring Behaviours in Households on New Providence, The Bahamas”, The International Journal of Bahamian Studies, 16, 1
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Bangladesh
In a 2013 study, a nationally representative sample of 4,200 12-17 year olds was asked what they thought
the role of political aspirants was in stopping corporal punishment in school: 81% said political aspirants
should raise awareness and ensure teachers’ accountability, 77% said they should ensure enforcement of
the directive against corporal punishment. Children highlighted that many children stop going to school
because of corporal punishment. They said that if they became involved in politics in future, they would
discourage corporal punishment and mental harassment in schools and homes and inform teachers and
parents about the bad effects of corporal punishment.
Ministry of Information (2013), Children's Opinion Poll: Children’s Views and Expectations from Political Aspirants and
Leaders in Bangladesh, UNICEF
In a 2012 national study, 77.1% of students stated that physical, psychological or financial punishments
were inflicted on students in their schools. Nearly half of parents (48.4%) said these punishments
happened in their children’s schools and 34.9% of teachers said they happened in the schools they worked
in.
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust & Institute of Informatics and Development (2012), Survey Report on Violence
against Children in Education Institute Settings, Institute of Informatics and Development
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In a study involving 2,400 men, 16.9% of men living in urban areas and 11.6% of men living in rural
areas reported having been beaten at home with a belt, stick, whip or other hard object during childhood;
4.1% of urban men and 1.8% of rural men reported having been beaten so hard it left a mark or a bruise.
About 4% of urban and rural men reported having been physically punished at school; 43% of urban men
and 36% of rural men reported having been insulted or humiliated in public by a family member during
childhood. Men who had experienced physical violence during childhood were more likely to hold
inequitable gender attitudes. The study recommends that, as part of addressing violence against women,
corporal punishment in the home be ended.
Naved, R. T. et al (2011), Men’s Attitudes and Practices Regarding Gender and Violence Against Women in Bangladesh:
Preliminary Findings, Dhaka: icddr,b
In a random survey conducted by the NGO Andhra Pradesh Bala Sangham, students of about 12 schools
stated on camera that they had been subjected to corporal punishment, despite a Supreme Court judgment
in January 2011 that corporal punishment in schools was unconstitutional.
Reported in Deccan Chronicle, 7 Feb 2011
A 2009 report by UNICEF documented a high prevalence of corporal punishment of children at home and
school. The study involved nearly 4,000 households, through interviews with children aged 9-18 and the
heads of their households, focus group discussions, case studies and a survey with children living on the
street. The research found that 91% of children in school experience physical punishment. Poorer children
were more likely to experience it, with greater frequency and severity, than richer students. Punishments
included hitting the palm with a ruler or stick (experienced by 76% of students), standing in class, hitting
other body parts with a ruler or stick, and slapping. Twenty-three per cent of students said they faced
corporal punishment every day and 7% reported injuries and bleeding as a result. Corporal punishment
was one of the top four reasons given by children for not attending school. In the home, 99.3% of children
reported being verbally abused and threatened regularly by their parents; 74% said they were physically
punished by parents or guardians. Seventy per cent were usually slapped, 40% regularly beaten or kicked.
Of the children who took part in the study, 367 worked outside the home, 25% of whom experienced
physical punishment in their workplace, with older girls and young boys receiving more physical
punishment than other children. Girls were more likely to be seriously injured by corporal punishment
than boys. Physical punishment in the workplace was felt to be unacceptable by 59% of working children.
UNICEF (2009), Opinions of Children of Bangladesh on Corporal Punishment: Children’s Opinion Poll 2008, Dhaka: UNICEF
& Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
A study reported in 2005 of 153 children in 16 groups and 109 adults in 13 groups examined behaviours
children liked and disliked. The children identified a total of 1,043 behaviours they disliked from people
in the immediate family, educational settings and the workplace. Of these, 293 were categorised as
physical discipline/punishment, 206 as verbal discipline/punishment, and 66 as other kinds of
discipline/punishment, representing the top three disliked behaviours.
Government of Bangladesh/UNICEF/Save the Children Alliance (2005), Child Abuse Study: Study Report, Draft Version, 25
January 2005
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A survey conducted in 2012-2013 found that 82.3% of children age 1-14 years had experienced “violent
punishment” (psychological aggression and/or physical punishment) during the month preceding the
survey: 74.4% experienced psychological aggression, 65.9% physical punishment and 24.6% severe
physical punishment. In contrast to the actual prevalence of physical punishment (65.9%), the survey
revealed that only 33.3% of respondents believe physical punishment is needed to bring up, raise, or
educate a child properly; respondents with no educational attainment and those residing in poorer
households were more likely to find physical punishment a necessary method of disciplining children
(35.1% and 41.7% respectively).
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) & UNICEF Bangladesh (2014), Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2012
-2013, Progotir Pathey: Final Report, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) & UNICEF Bangladesh
A survey involving 24 government primary schools in eight unions of Bangladesh, conducted in April
2015, found a drop in the prevalence of school corporal punishment from 79% in 2013 to 53% in 2015.
However, the acceptability among guardians of corporal punishment at school remains high at 95% in
2015, with female guardians more likely to find it unacceptable (5%) than male guardians (3%);
guardians that have completed secondary education or above are also more likely to find corporal
punishment unacceptable (10%) than illiterate guardians (3%).
Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) (2015), Report Card Survey on Primary Education in Eight Selected Unions of
Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)
Barbados
A study carried out in 2009, which involved 800 adults and 350 children, found high levels of support
among adults for “flogging” in homes and schools: 75% supported flogging in the home, 54% in schools.
The figures had decreased slightly since a similar survey in 2004, when 80% supported flogging in the
home and 69% in schools. Of children, 54% supported flogging in the home (76% in 2004). A large
majority of children (74%) were opposed to flogging in schools (compared to 56% in 2004). Eighty-six
per cent of children said they had been flogged at home, 56% at school; 63% of adults said they had
flogged their child.
Caribbean Development Research Services (2009), Corporal Punishment and Other Major Educational Issues in Barbados,
UNICEF & Barbados Union of Teachers
A UNICEF study of child vulnerability in Barbados, St Vincent and St Lucia, completed in November
2006, found that younger girls and boys were much more likely to be punished than their teenage siblings
in all three countries. The number of young children who received no punishment was below 50% in all
countries. Overall, younger children, both girls and boys, were more likely to be subjected to corporal
punishment such as spanking, slapping or hitting with the hand or an object.
UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Government of Barbados, Government of St. Lucia & Government of
St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2006), A Study of Child Vulnerability in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & The Grenadines,
Barbados: UNICEF
In a survey conducted in 2012, three out of four children (75.1%) aged 2-14 years were found to have
been subjected to at least one form of violent “discipline” (psychological aggression or physical
punishment) by their parent or another household member in the month preceding the survey; this was
slightly higher for boys (78.1%) compared to girls (72.1%); in urban areas (76.7%) compared to rural
areas (72.3%), and for younger children compared to older children. Over 6% of children reported being
subjected to severe physical punishment. In contrast to the actual prevalence of physical punishment
(55.7%), 35.7% of respondents believed that children need to be physically punished; this belief appears
to increase as the level of education of the respondent increases.
Barbados Statistical Service (2014), Barbados Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2012: Final Report, Bridgetown, Barbados:
Barbados Statistical Service
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According to surveys conducted by the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) between
2004 and 2014, there has been a dramatic decline in support for corporal punishment in schools in
Barbados over a ten-year period. In 2004, 80% of those surveyed supported corporal punishment in the
home; 69% in schools. In 2009, support had dropped to 75% in the home and 54% in schools. A further
study in 2014 found 77% support for corporal punishment in the home, but just 50% in schools. The
figures suggest that those who continue to support this form of punishment at school will soon be in the
minority.
Reported in “Spare them! Waning appetite for flogging in schools – pollsters”, Barbados Today, 25 February 2016 (http://www.
barbadostoday.bb/2016/02/25/spare-them/)
Belarus
According to statistics collected in 2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 64.5% of children aged 2-14 experienced physical punishment and/or
psychological aggression in the home in the month prior to the survey.
National Statistical Commission of the Republic of Belarus (2013), Republic of Belarus Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of
Children and Women 2012: Preliminary Findings, UNICEF
According to a UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006, 84% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Half experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage
(15%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 94% of children. Two per cent of children were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement); 78% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (87% compared to 80%).
Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than other children (86% of 5
-9 year olds compared to 85% of 2-4 year olds and 82% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline (90% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 81% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children
with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the
study. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
A survey conducted in 2012 found that two-thirds (64.5%) of children age 2-14 years were subjected to at
least one form of psychological aggression or physical punishment from their parents or other adults in
the household in the month preceding the survey. The majority of children experienced psychological
aggression (58.7%) while a third (34.2%) were subjected to physical punishment. In contrast, only 7.9%
of respondents believed children should be physically punished, reflecting contradictory opinions and
practices regarding child “discipline”. Physical punishment is more common among boys than girls
(37.2% compared to 31.4%).
National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus & UNICEF (2013), Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of the Situation
of Children and Women in the Republic of Belarus 2012: Final Report, Minsk, Belarus: National Statistical Committee of the
Republic of Belarus & UNICEF
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Belgium
In a survey of 1,050 parents of children aged 6-18 carried out in September 2013, 57% thought it was
acceptable to give their children a “pedagogical smack” on the buttocks.
Reported in Het Nieuwsblad, 14 October 2013
A study carried out in 2010-2011, which involved nearly 2,000 10-18 year olds in Flanders, revealed a
high prevalence of corporal punishment in homes, schools, sports clubs and youth clubs. In the family
home, 32.4% had been pinched or had their hair or ears pulled, 29.7% had been beaten, hit or smacked
and 23.4% pushed, kicked or grabbed. Parents were the main perpetrators. Nearly half had experienced at
least one of these three kinds of violence, 12% had experienced all three. Nearly a quarter had
experienced “extreme violence” (including being beaten with an object, locked in a small room or tied up
and forced to stand in the same position or do physical exercises), fathers being the main perpetrators. In
school, 22.9% had been punished by having their ear pulled, 18% by having their hair pulled and 19.8%
by being hit with a hand on their hand or fingers. Forty-two per cent had experienced at least one form of
“extreme punishment” in school, most commonly being shut outside in hot or cold temperatures (15%),
forced to do something dangerous (14.6%), forced to stand or kneel in a painful position (13.8%) and
being denied food (12.5%). Extrapolated to the whole of Flemish society, the results suggest that around
38,000 children have had “extreme punishment” inflicted on them by teachers. Similar punishments were
inflicted on children in sports and youth clubs. In youth clubs, 23.7% had been punished by being forced
to remain in a painful position, 12.7% had been placed in hot or cold water. In sports clubs, 9.3% had
been punished by being hit on the face or head, 8.7% by being hit on the arm or fingers. The majority of
children said all corporal punishment was unacceptable. The report of the study recommends prohibition
of all corporal punishment.
Kinderrechtencommissariaat (2011), Geweld gemeld en geteld, Brussels: Kinderrechtencommissaris
Belize
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 70.5% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than half (56.9%)
experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage (26.2%) of mothers and caregivers
thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Five per cent of children experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement), 53.9% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted).
Statistical Institute of Belize (2012), Belize Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011 Final Report, UNICEF
A UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 70% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly 60% experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller
percentage (26%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 93% of children. Eight per cent of
children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over
with an implement), 53% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at
or insulted). No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found
according to sex, age, household size, level of education of adults in the household, or engagement in
child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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According to statistics collected in 2005-2006 by UNICEF, children with disabilities were more likely to
have experienced severe physical punishment in the home in the month prior to the survey: 9% of
children with disabilities aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as
hard as possible with an implement, compared with 4% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
In a questionnaire study involving 292 children aged 7-15, 91% of 7-10 year olds had been “lashed” at
home and/or at school, with 87.7% saying they were still being punished in this way. The most commonly
used implement was a belt (59.9%), followed by a slipper (42.2%), rope (16.4%), ruler (11.9%) and stick
(11.3%). Some of the children were scarred by the beatings. Of children aged 11-15 years, 97% said
corporal punishment had been or was still being inflicted at home and school, with punishments including
having to kneel on bottle stoppers and being hit on the head. More than two thirds (69%) considered
corporal punishment to be cruel and inhumane and a similar number said when they were physically
punished they felt hurt, shameful, fearful, upset, vexed, bad, angry and resentful. The study also involved
focus group discussions with 87 children. In discussions, children explained that they were told by their
parents and teachers they were being punished out of love and that this led some of them to believe adults
were right to physically punish them. Nonetheless, 45% of children thought it was wrong and ineffective
for adults to use corporal punishment as a means of controlling children. Children said they could not
learn when threatened by corporal punishment and that they would not use corporal punishment when
they became adults.
National Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (2005), Corporal punishment – A situational analysis,
Belize: NOPCAN
Benin
A 2012 assessment of alternative care in Benin found that there were persistent reports of children in
alternative care institutions being physically punished.
SOS Children’s Villages International (2012), A Snapshot of Alternative Care Arrangements in Benin
A 2009 study involving interviews with girls aged 6-14 and the mothers of girls aged 2-5 and a survey of
4,649 women and 1,550 men found that corporal punishment at home and in schools was very common
and that 88.5% of 2-5 year old girls, 88% of 5-9 year old girls and 87.7% of girls aged 10-14 had been
beaten. When asked about the reasons for violence, 85.5% of interviewees said it was for “education”.
Half of interviewees said that violence to girls resulted in “submission”, 32.9% “scars on the body”, 9.9%
“timidity” and 1.7% “death”.
Ministère de la Famille et de la Solidarité National (2009), Les Violences Faites aux Femmes au Bénin
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
47% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Bhutan
A situation analysis by UNICEF published in 2012 reported that corporal punishment is "quite
commonly" inflicted on children at home, in schools, in the workplace and in other settings. In focus
group discussions, parents and children often accepted beating as an element of school discipline.
Government of Bhutan & UNICEF (2013), A situation analysis of children, youth and women in Bhutan - 2012
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An assessment in 2010 by a an "Eleven-Expert Committee" for the National Commission for Women and
Children (NCWC), supported by UNICEF, of the situation of young monks and nuns in their respective
regions found that physical punishment (spanking, beating and whipping) was used as a last resort in
around 10% of monastic institutions. Most were also using alternative, non-violent forms of discipline.
National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) (2011), Report of Assessment of situation of Young Monks and Nuns
in Monastic Institutions by the Eleven Expert Committee Members
Bolivia
In a 2008 study involving 10,092 women aged 15-49 with children, 48.7% reported that children in their
home were physically punished (47.6% by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped; 1.1% by other physical
punishment). In a similar 2003 study, women who had experienced partner violence were more likely to
report that children in their home were physically punished (66% of women who had ever experienced
partner violence compared to 50.9% of women who had not).
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
According to UN statistics, in 2003 significant proportions of women believed that a husband is justified
in hitting or beating his wife for specific reasons: 5% for burning the food, 6% for arguing with him, 9%
for going out without telling him, 17% for neglecting the children and 3% for refusing to have sex.
United Nations (2010), The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics, New York: Department of Economic and Social
Affairs
Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), 55.2% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Among Roma
children, the figure was 57.6%. Nearly forty per cent (39.6%) of all children and 44.9% of Roma children
experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage of mothers and caregivers thought
physical punishment was necessary in childrearing (13.8% of all mothers and caregivers; 8% of Roma
mothers and caregivers). Nearly five per cent (4.5%) of all children and 7% of Roma children were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement); 42.1% of all children and 49.2% of Roma children experienced psychological aggression
(being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina et al (2013), Bosnia and Herzegovina Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
(MICS) 2011–2012, Final Report, Sarajevo: UNICEF; Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina &
Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013), Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2011–2012, Bosnia and
Herzegovina: Roma Survey, Sarajevo: UNICEF
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A UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 38% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly a quarter (24%) experienced physical punishment, while a much
smaller percentage (7%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing; non-violent discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 93% of children. Three per
cent of children experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or
being hit over and over with an implement), 28% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at,
yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children living in larger households were more likely to experience
violent discipline: 49% of children in households of 6 or more people compared to 25% of children in
households of 2-3 people. The statistics also suggest that children with more siblings are more likely to
experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the study. No significant differences in
children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, age, level of education of adults
in the household, or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics collected in 2005-2006 by UNICEF, 7% of 2-9 year olds with disabilities were hit
or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the
home in the month prior to the survey, compared with 3% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Botswana
In June 2007, the Education Secretary for Ngami region reported a Baseline Study which found that 92%
of students had been beaten in school and that this was supported by 67% of parents.
Reported in Daily News, 13 June 2007
In survey research by DITSHWANELO on corporal punishment in schools, about 90% of respondents
said they used corporal punishment on children.
Reported in correspondence with the Global Initiative, February 2006
Brazil
During the 2011 visit of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment to Brazil, the Subcommittee received numerous and consistent
allegations of ill-treatment of children and young people in police custody, pre-trial detention facilities
and penal institutions for children and adolescents, including beatings by staff on the back of the head and
other parts of the body with open hands, wood or metal batons, stripping of children and adolescents,
forcing them to stand in uncomfortable positions, and insults and threats.
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (2012), Report on
the visit of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to
Brazil
A 2010 survey which involved interviews with 4,025 people over 16 found that 70.5% had experienced
physical punishment as children, compared to 79.6% in a similar survey in 1999; 20.2% had been
physically punished almost every day or once a week, compared to 23.2% in 1999.
Cardia, N. (2012), Pesquisa nacional, por amostragem domiciliar, sobre atitudes, normas culturais e valores em relação à
violação de direitos humanos e violência: Um estudo em 11 capitais de estado, São Paulo: Núcleo de Estudos da Violência da
Universidade de São Paulo
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A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In Brazil, of the 744 men who participated, 36% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 6% threatened with physical punishment in
the home and 8% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people; 4% reported having
been beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher. The study found that men who had experienced
violence, including corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate intimate
partner violence, hold inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or robberies,
pay for sex and experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate in domestic
duties, communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is pregnant
and/or take paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
A report comparing diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) in different
countries found that in Brazil, physical punishment is considered by a large number of teachers to be a
“therapeutic” treatment for ADHD.
Reported in Psychiatric News, 46 (11), 3 June 2011
A study on the relationship between severe physical punishment and mental health problems found that
20% of the children (aged 6-17) in the 813 participating households had suffered severe physical
punishment (being hit with an object, being kicked, choked, smothered, burnt, scalded, branded, beaten or
threatened with a weapon) by one or both parents in the last 12 months.
Bordin, I. A. et al (2009), “Severe physical punishment: risk of mental health problems for poor urban children in Brazil”,
Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 87(5), 336–344
A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children aged under 18, carried out between 1998
and 2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States.
In Brazil, 70% of children experienced “moderate” physical discipline (including being “spanked” on the
buttocks, hit with an object, slapped on the face and having hot pepper put in their mouth). Two per cent
of children experienced harsh physical discipline (including being burnt, beaten up, kicked and
smothered). Nearly four children in ten (39%) experienced harsh psychological discipline such as being
called names, being cursed and being threatened with abandonment. “Moderate” psychological discipline,
including being yelled or screamed at or being refused food was experienced by 77% of children. Nonviolent discipline, including explaining why a behaviour was wrong and telling a child to stop, was also
widely used (experienced by 96% of children). The study found that rates of harsh physical discipline
were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of official physical abuse in any
country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among communities within the same
country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
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Surveys carried out in 2002-2004 examined the attitudes of children and adults in Argentina, Brazil,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela towards physical punishment. In Brazil, 800 people were
surveyed (200 adults and 600 children). Nearly a quarter (23.2%) of the children agreed that physical
punishment is “very bad” or “makes children violent”, and 37.2% agreed that physical punishment is
“unfair”. Three-quarters of children and adults thought that physical punishment is never necessary.
Save the Children Sweden & Instituto de Encuestas y Sondeos de Opinión (2005), Sistematización de las Encuestas Sobre la
Perceptión del Castigo Físico en Seis Países de America Latina, presentation: Managua, 16 May 2005
Bulgaria
A study involving 500 people aged 15 and over found that 54% thought corporal punishment should
never be used – a slight increase from the 47% who thought this in a similar survey in 2005. Sixty-two
per cent of parents said they had “smacked” their child, 43% beaten or hit them and 21% slapped their
child on the face. These findings on whether parents had ever used these forms of corporal punishment
were similar to those of a 2010 survey which asked identical questions.
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
Almost half (49.9%) of respondents to a 2009 survey of 1,000 adults believed that corporal punishment
should never be used. This was a slight increase compared to an identical 2005 survey of 994 adults,
when 47.2% said corporal punishment should never be used. More than a third (34.8%) of respondents in
2009 said corporal punishment “should not be used in general but in certain situations it is justifiable” and
10.9% felt that corporal punishment was acceptable “if the parent believes that it will be effective”. The
studies in 2005 and 2009 also examined adults’ perceptions of the prevalence of corporal punishment.
Vitosha Research (2009), Physical Punishment in Child-Rearing in Bulgaria www.canee.net/files/Omnibus%20research%
20Bulgaria%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009.
A 2009 survey of 202 teachers in primary schools in Sofia found that 82% believed corporal punishment
is humiliating for the child and 74% believed it meant that “the parents are not good at rearing children”;
41% felt that the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party (compared
with 30% in an identical survey of a similar sample in 2005). Almost half (46%) believed that more than
50% of children in Bulgaria experience “spanking” (compared with 51% in 2005).
Nobody’s Children Foundation et al (2009), Sofia teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse www.canee.net/files/Teachers%
20studies%20Bulgaria%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in
Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009.
Regional research in 2005 and 2006 found that 28% of teachers in Bulgaria were in favour of punishing
children by beating them.
Regional study carried out in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Poland, Ukraine and Moldova, reported in the second/third report by the Government of Moldova to the
Committee on the Rights of the Child (2008), para. 217
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In 2013, the National Network for Children conducted national research on young people’s and parents’
attitudes towards children’s rights. Regarding the child’s right to protection from corporal punishment,
40% supported slapping children as a disciplinary measure, with 5% said to be "unyielding supporters of
slapping". Nearly 50% reported having witnessed a parent slapping their child and an average of 16%
said they had seen a child with marks from slapping (bruises or similar). Regarding the right to protection
by state authorities, 57-58% of respondents agreed that the state should intervene in families where
parents often spank children; 80-82% said that interfering in family affairs of others "could bring you
trouble".
ESTAT Research and Consultancy (2013), A national survey on Young People’s and Parental Attitudes toward Children’s
Rights, Sofia, Bulgaria: National Network for Children – Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
A UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 83% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Over 60% experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(38%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 82% of children. More than one child in five experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), 84% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages (91%
of 5-9 year olds compared to 84% of 2-4 year olds and 87% of 10-14 year olds). No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, household size,
level of education of adults in the household, or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
A study by the African Child Policy Forum in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Nigeria and Senegal found that hitting, beating and forced hard work were the most prevalent
forms of violence against girls, and that most of the physical violence experienced by girls was corporal
punishment. The study involved a survey of 3,025 young women (nearly 600 per country) aged 18-24
about the violence they had experienced in their childhood. In Burkina Faso, 91% had been hit during
their childhood, 88% beaten, 51% kicked, 51% denied food, 27% choked or burned and 43% forced to do
hard work. Parents and close relatives were the most common perpetrators of physical violence.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Childhood Scars in Africa: A Retrospective Study on Violence Against Girls in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 seventy-one per cent of
girls and women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain
circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Burundi
Interviews with children in conflict with the law and with parents and law enforcement officials, carried
out by Human Rights Watch in 2006-2007, found that many children had been beaten and suffered other
ill treatment while in detention.
Human Rights Watch (2007), Paying the price: Violations of the rights of children in detention in Burundi
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Cambodia
A 2013 Human Rights Watch report documented severe physical punishment in “drug detention centres”,
where people who use drugs and others considered “undesirable” by the authorities – including children
and adults living or working on the street – are detained. Punishments included beating, punching and
kicking detainees, shocking them with electric batons and forcing them to do painful physical exercises
such as crawling on the ground. The report was based on interviews with 33 people who had been held in
drug detention centres between 2011 and 2013, including three who were detained when they were under
18. According to government statistics cited in the report, at any one time around 1,000 people are held in
the eight drug detention centres in Cambodia, of whom at least 10% are children.
Human Rights Watch (2013) “They Treat Us Like Animals”: Mistreatment of Drug Users and “Undesirables” in Cambodia’s
Drug Detention Centers, NY: HRW
An investigation by SISHA, an anti-trafficking and exploitation organisation, revealed that children in
orphanages were being beaten and subjected to other forms of violent punishment.
Reported in Sydney Morning Herald, 7 April 2013
A 2010 Human Rights Watch report found that in Cambodia brutal physical punishment, including
beatings and the administration of electrical shocks, is inflicted on children and adults who are detained in
“drug detention centres”, which are used to keep the streets clear of “undesirables” such as street children,
drug addicts, gamblers, alcoholics and mentally ill people.
Human Rights Watch (2010), “Skin on the Cable”: The Illegal Arrest, Arbitrary Detention and Torture of People Who Use
Drugs in Cambodia
A survey of 1,314 12-15 year olds found that 43.2% had direct experience of physical punishment by a
parent and 29.2% by a teacher.
Miles, G. & Thomas, N. (2007), “Don’t grind an egg against a stone’—Children’s rights and violence in Cambodian history and
culture”, Child Abuse Review, 16, 383-400, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Cambodia involved 504 children (250 boys, 254 girls) from urban, rural and remote areas, and 275
adults (122 men, 153 women). Methods included research diaries, body maps, attitude survey, and
discussions. Physical punishments mentioned by children in Cambodia included being hit with
implements, including a stick, cane, “whip” made of electric cable, belt, whip, chain; the use of sharp
implements (knife) and sharp-edged domestic items (brooms, shoes), and kicking, punching, pinching,
pulling and twisting of joints. Of those children who mentioned body parts where they were hit, 39.8%
reported being hit on the head and neck, 82.2% on the limbs, 80.7% on the back, 33.1% buttocks, 2.3%
chest and 3.3% stomach. Over 80% of children reported being punished in the home. Nearly all adults
(96%) said they felt unhappy after they had been punished as children. When asked what they did in
response to punishment, most said they stood still and endured it (61% boys, 76% girls); 1.8% of boys
and no girls said they “fight back”; some escape the punishment (27% boys, 23% girls); some beg not to
be punished (16% boys, 4% girls).
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific, 2005, Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden
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Research involving focus groups, discussions, interviews and a survey with 12-18 year olds in Kandal
province found a very high prevalence of corporal punishment in homes and schools. Eighty-four per cent
of survey respondents said they had seen or heard of a teacher beating a boy, 67% a girl; 56% of boys and
19% of girls said they had been beaten by a teacher; 36% said it was always wrong for a teacher to beat a
boy, 44% a girl; 92% had seen or heard of a boy being beaten by a parent, 71% a girl. Two thirds (67%)
of boys and 38% of girls had been beaten by their father, 76% of boys and 60% of girls by their mother.
The majority said someone should intervene to stop children being beaten by their parents (95% for a
boy, 92% for a girl). Almost half said a relative should intervene; other choices included neighbours,
village chiefs and the police.
Fordham, G. (2005), “Wise” Before their Time: young people, gender-based violence and pornography in Kandal Stung distict,
Phnom Penh: World Vision Cambodia
Large-scale research into children’s attitudes towards violence was undertaken by Tearfund, a relief and
development NGO working in partnership with Christian agencies and churches. The first stage involved
focus groups of boys and girls aged 11-13 from an urban slum community, a rural community and a
provincial town community, and found that most children believed children should be beaten by teachers
if they are disobedient or if they “made a mistake”, with few feeling beating was inappropriate in some
cases. Children also felt parents should beat children if they “made a mistake”. The second stage,
supported by the Ministry of Education, comprised a written questionnaire survey of 1,314 children aged
12-15. Half the boys (50.5%) and over a third of the girls (36.4%) reported having been beaten by their
parents; 82.4% of girls and 81.1% of boys reported witnessing other children being beaten by their
parents; 24.1% of girls and 34.7% of boys reported having been beaten by their teacher in school.
Miles, G. & Varin, S. (2005), “Stop Violence Against Us!” A preliminary national research study into the prevalence and
perceptions of Cambodian children to violence against children in Cambodia, Summary report, Tearfund
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
55% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A study which involved a survey of 2,376 13-24 year olds and qualitative research with 117 children
found a high prevalence of physical violence against children. Parents and carers were the most common
perpetrators of physical violence against children, with 52% of females and 50.6% of males aged 13-17
reporting that their first experience of physical violence was perpetrated by a parent, caregiver or other
adult relative. In qualitative participatory workshops, most children said they had been physically
punished and all children said that they had seen physical punishment happen many times. Physical
punishments inflicted on children in schools included being hit or beaten with hands and objects including
belts and sticks, being forced to stand in painful positions and being forced to do painful physical
exercises.
Ministry of Women’s Affairs (2014), Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey 2013, Cambodia: Ministry
of Women’s Affairs, UNICEF Cambodia & US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
A total of 1,408 Cambodian students aged 12–17 years participated in a survey conducted between
October 2013 and March 2014. The survey found that 17% of boys and 9% of girls had experienced
physical violence (been hit, beaten, slapped or kicked) by teachers in the last 6 months at school. Almost
2% of all students surveyed had been locked in the toilet by a teacher. Less than 24% of all children that
experienced violence by a teacher reported it to a parent/guardian.
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Plan International (2014), Are Schools Safe and Gender Equal
Spaces? Findings from a baseline study of school related gender-based violence in five countries in Asia, Plan International
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Cameroon
A 2010 African Child Policy Forum report on violence against children with disabilities in Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia documented a very high level of violence. Nearly a thousand 18
-24 year olds took part in the study across the five countries, reporting on their experiences as children. In
Cameroon, over 50% had been hit, punched, kicked or beaten, over 25% made to eat hot chilli, pepper or
very bitter food or drink, and over 25% choked, burnt or stabbed. Across the five countries, 23% said they
had experienced physical violence which was “mostly discipline, reasonable and justified” and 27%
physical violence which was “mostly discipline but not reasonable or justified”; 26% said they had
experienced emotional violence which was “discipline, but not reasonable or justified”, 22% emotional
violence that was “disciplinary, reasonable and justified”. Across all five countries, more than half (54%)
of those who had been physically beaten said they had suffered broken bones, teeth, bleeding or bruising;
2% had been permanently disabled; 21% required medical attention; 13% had to miss school or work, and
20% had needed rest at home. For all five countries, the majority of respondents with physical, visual and
intellectual disabilities experienced physical violence more than 10 times. The report recommends
prohibition of all corporal punishment, including in the home, as a way to minimise the risk of violence
against children with disabilities.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Violence Against Children With Disabilities in Africa: Field Studies from Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 93% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly eight in ten experienced physical punishment, while a smaller
percentage (44%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 82% of children. Nearly three children in ten
were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 87% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Children engaged in child labour experienced violent discipline more than those who were not
engaged in child labour, 96% compared to 93%. No significant differences in children’s experience of
violent discipline were found according to sex, age, household size or level of education of adults in the
household.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
A study by the African Child Policy Forum in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Nigeria and Senegal found that hitting, beating and forced hard work were the most prevalent
forms of violence against girls, and that most of the physical violence experienced by girls was corporal
punishment. The study involved a survey of 3,025 young women (nearly 600 per country) aged 18-24
about the violence they had experienced in their childhood. In Cameroon, 43% of respondents had been
hit during their childhood, 66% beaten, 21% kicked, 31% denied food, 7% choked or burned and 18%
forced to do hard work. Parents and close relatives were the most common perpetrators of physical
violence.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Childhood Scars in Africa: A Retrospective Study on Violence Against Girls in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
According to statistics collected in 2005-2006 by UNICEF, children with disabilities were more likely to
have experienced severe physical punishment in the home in the month prior to the survey (30% of 2-9
year olds with disabilities were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as
possible with an implement, compared with 24% of children without disabilities).
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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A study of children who had lost their parent(s) due to HIV-related illnesses exposed a high level of
physical violence and corporal punishment in the home. The study involved 180 children: 70% of boys
without a mother reported experiencing physical violence in the month before the study, as did 62% of
non-orphan boys. Between 60% and 70% of non-orphan girls reported suffering physical punishment
during the same period.
Morgan, J. & Behrendt, A. (2007), Silent Suffering: The psychological impact of war, HIV and other high-risk situations on
girls and boys in West and Central Africa: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Dakar: Plan West Africa
Canada
A 2012 survey of 4,029 mothers and 1,342 fathers of children under 17 in Quebec found that although the
use of corporal punishment had declined since similar surveys in 1999 and 2004, 35% of children
experienced physical punishment such as slaps with bare hands on the buttocks, hand, arm or leg at least
once a year and 11% three times or more in a year; 49% experienced psychological aggression, such as
being shouted or screamed at, called names or threatened, three or more times a year. Ten per cent of
mothers and 15% of fathers thought it was acceptable to slap a disobedient child.
Clément, M. E. et al (2013), La violence familiale dans la vie des enfants du Québec, 2012 : Les attitudes parentales et les
pratiques familiales, Montréal: Institut de la statistique du Québec
In a survey of 818 adults without children, mostly aged 18-21, 46% agreed that section 43 of Canada’s
Criminal Code, which allows for the use of “reasonable force” to “correct” children, “should be ended if
guidelines are developed so that parents are not prosecuted for mild slaps or spankings”; 26% disagreed.
“Favourable attitudes” towards “spanking” were held by 17%.
Bell, T. & Romano, E. (2012), “Opinions About Child Corporal Punishment and Influencing Factors”, Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, 27(11), 2208-2229
The Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2008, the third nationwide study to
examine the incidence of reported child maltreatment, involved 112 child welfare service agencies in
Canada, reporting on 15,980 child protection investigations. The study found that nearly three quarters
(74%) of all cases of “substantiated physical abuse” were cases of physical punishment and 27% of
“substantiated emotional maltreatment incidents” were initiated as a form of punishment. In the vast
majority (17,212) of the estimated 18,688 cases of “substantiated physical abuse”, physical violence was
the primary form of maltreatment. Of cases of physical violence, 54% involved children being slapped or
“spanked”, 30% being shaken, pushed, grabbed or thrown, 21% being hit with objects and 8% being
punched, kicked or bitten.
Jud, A. & Trocmé, N. (2013), Physical Abuse and Physical Punishment in Canada, Child Canadian Welfare Research Portal
Information Sheet # 122
A study involving questionnaires with 712 medical students (74% female) at Laval University in Québec
between 2006 and 2011 found that 22% (31% of male students, 18% female) were in favour of corporal
punishment of children. Of students who had experienced corporal punishment as children, 36% were in
favour of it, compared to 4% of students who had not experienced corporal punishment as children.
Labbé, J. et al (2012), “The opinion of Québec medical students on corporal punishment”, Paediatric Child Health 17(9), 490
-494
In a Leger Marketing survey of 1,000 adult men in Alberta, undertaken during February 2012, 21% said
slapping a child’s face is acceptable behaviour; one in ten said hitting a woman is acceptable if she makes
them angry.
Reported in Toronto Star, 15 March 2012, as reported at www.repeal43.org
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In an online poll of more than 6,000 people, 54.6% said “spanking” should not be allowed under
Canadian law; 35% said spanking should be allowed and the limits set out by the Supreme Court in 2004
were “reasonable”, and 8.5% said spanking should be allowed and the limits set by the Supreme Court
were “too strict”.
Reported in CBC News, 6 February 2012, www.cbc.ca
A 2008 interview study in Canada with adolescents and their parents of Caribbean and of Filipino
heritage found that 78% of the 118 Caribbean parents and 42% of the 136 Filipino parents thought they
should have the “right” to physically punish their children, while adolescents disagreed.
Hassan, G. et al (2008), “Caribbean and Filipino adolescents' and parents' perceptions of parental authority, physical
punishment, and cultural values and their relation to migratory characteristics”, Canadian Ethnic Studies, 40(2), 171-186
In a sample of mothers of preschoolers in Manitoba, 59% reported having used physical punishment in
the previous two weeks.
Ateah, C. & Durrant, J. E. (2005), “Maternal use of physical punishment in response to child misbehavior: Implications for child
abuse prevention”, Child Abuse & Neglect, 29, 177-193
In a 2013 survey of 500 parents and other main caregivers of 0-6 year olds living in Ontario, 25% of
respondents spanked or slapped their child at least once a week. Parents who used corporal punishments
belonged to all socio-economic groups. Parents aged 35-44 were more likely to use corporal punishment
than younger parents. Parents with only high school or less education were less likely to use corporal
punishment than parents with a higher level of education, and parents with a low income were less likely
to use corporal punishment than parents with a higher income. A quarter (26%) of respondents agreed that
“slapping/spanking are effective methods to educate a child”; 72% disagreed. Fifty-five per cent agreed
that “slapping/spanking teaches children it is acceptable to hit others”. Sixty-one per cent of respondents
wrongly believed that Canada’s law prohibits parents from physically punishing children of any age.
Best Start Resource Centre (2014), Child Discipline: Ontario Parents’ Knowledge, Beliefs and Behaviours, Toronto: Best Start
Resource Centre
Central African Republic
A survey of 2,643 children aged 10-17 in 975 households found that nearly half (49.19 %) of them
experienced corporal punishment, the commonest perpetrators being fathers (56.5%) and mothers
(36.11%).
Mande Djapou, F. (2013), Châtiment Corporel des Enfants en République Centrafricaine 2012-2013, Réseau National des ONG
de Jeunesse en Droits de l’Homme
A study involving 765 people aged 10 years and older and who attended schools or higher education
institutions found that of the 47.2% of respondents (50.9% of males and 45% of females) who had been
smacked, slapped or beaten at school in the past year, 32.9% of males and 34% of females said the
perpetrator was a male teacher or other staff member and 2.7% of males and 4.6% of females said the
perpetrator was a female teacher or other staff member.
Mimche, H. & Tanang, P. (2013), “Les violences basées sur le genre à l’école en République centrafricaine”, Recherches &
Educations, 8, 49-63
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According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), 92% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than
eight children in ten (81%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (30%) of
mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Thirty-seven per cent
of children were severe physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over
with an implement), 84% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at
or insulted).
L’Institut Centrafricain des Statistiques, et des Etudes Economiques et Sociales (2012), Enquête par grappes à indicateurs
multiples MICS, RCA 2010, Bangui: ICASEES
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 89% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Seventy-eight per cent experienced physical punishment, while a much
smaller percentage (25%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing; non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 90% of children. A third of
children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over
with an implement), 83% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at
or insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (90% compared to
88%). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than other children (91% of 5
-9 year olds compared to 85% of 2-4 year olds and 90% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline (90% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 83% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children
with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the
study. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics collected in 2005-2005 by UNICEF, children with disabilities were more likely to
have experienced severe physical punishment in the home in the month prior to the survey: 36% of 2-9
year olds with disabilities were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as
possible with an implement, compared with 28% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Chad
According to statistics collected in 2009 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 84.3% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than three quarters
(76.6%) experienced physical punishment, 41.1% severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the
face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement); 70.9% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
République du Tchad Ministère du Plan, de l’Economie et de la Coopération Internationale et al (2013), Enquête par grappes à
indicateurs multiples: Tchad 2010
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Chile
A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In Chile, of the 1,151 men who participated, 48% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 36% threatened with physical punishment
in the home and 34% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people; 27% reported having
been beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher. The study found that men who had experienced
violence, including corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate intimate
partner violence, hold inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or robberies,
pay for sex and experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate in domestic
duties, communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is pregnant
and/or take paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
In a 2006 survey by the Association of Chileans for the United Nations, together with Save the Children
Sweden, many parents admitted to frequent use of corporal punishment, most commonly in families of
lower socio-economic status, and more commonly mothers than fathers; most also expressed concern
about physical violence.
Soledad Salazar Medina (2006), Estilos de crianza y cuidado infantile en Santiago de Chile: Algus reflexiones para comprender
la violencia educative en la familia, Associacion Chilena Pro Naciones Unidas – ACHNU – PRODENI. Reported in The
Santiago Times, 15 November 2006
A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children aged under 18, carried out between 1998
and 2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States.
In Chile, 69% of children experienced “moderate” physical discipline (including being “spanked” on the
buttocks, hit with an object, slapped on the face and having hot pepper put in their mouth). Nearly one
child in twenty (4.5%) experienced harsh physical discipline (including being burnt, beaten up, kicked
and smothered). Nearly a third of children (32%) experienced harsh psychological discipline such as
being called names, being cursed and being threatened with abandonment. “Moderate” psychological
discipline, including being yelled or screamed at or being refused food was experienced by 85% of
children. Non-violent discipline, including explaining why a behaviour was wrong and telling a child to
stop, was also widely used (experienced by 97% of children). The study found that rates of harsh physical
discipline were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of official physical abuse in
any country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among communities within the same
country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
China
A 2014 study which involved 2,518 mothers and fathers of 3-15 year olds found that 53.7% of the
mothers and 48.3% of the fathers had physically punished their child in the past year.
Wang, M. & Liu, L. (2014) “Parental harsh discipline in mainland China: Prevalence, frequency, and coexistence”, Child Abuse
& Neglect, 38(6), 1128-1137
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In a survey of 1,200 first- and second-year university students, 32.1% reported experiencing corporal
punishment by teachers when they were at school.
UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A
Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
In a study of 2,363 parents, 43.8% said they had physical punished a child; 32.8% had done so in the past
year.
Chan, K.L. (2010), “Co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and child abuse in Hong Kong Chinese families”, Journal of
Interpersonal Violence, (epub ahead of print), 1-21, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in China 48% of girls and 60% of boys had experienced “mild”
corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the hand, arm,
or leg; shaking, or hitting with an object), and 10% of girls and 15% of boys had experienced severe
corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears; beating the child repeatedly
with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller percentages of parents
believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for girls, 14% of mothers and
20% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 36% of mothers and 33% of fathers believed it was
necessary.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A survey of over 2,100 primary school children aged 9-12 found that 73% were physically punished by
their parents, and this was associated with psychosomatic symptoms such as headache and abdominal
pain.
Hesketh, T. et al (2010), “Stress and psychosomatic symptoms in Chinese school children: cross-sectional survey”, Archives of
Disease in Childhood, 95(2), 136-140
In a survey of more than 100 children aged 6-15 and 126 parents, carried out by the NGO Against Child
Abuse, 58% of parents admitted to smacking or caning their children in the previous 12 months. Almost
half (47%) of children who had been physically punished said it had hurt them badly and a third thought it
had damaged their relationship with their parents.
Reported in Earth Times, 4 May 2010
In a study of 6,592 high school students, 23.2% reported experiencing corporal punishment in the past six
months.
Leung, P. W. S. et al (2008), “Prevalence and determinants of child maltreatment among high school students in Southern
China: A large school based survey”, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2(27), 1-8, cited in UNICEF East
Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review
of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
A study of 810 parents with children of pre-school age found that 33% had used non-contact corporal
punishment on their child.
Wang, F. Y. et al (2007), “The Prevalence of Physical Maltreatment by Parents in 810 Kindergarten Children”, Chinese Journal
of School Health, 28(11), 987-990 [in Chinese], cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In a study of 1,622 Chinese parents, 57.5% reported using corporal punishment.
Tang, C. S. K. (2006), “Corporal punishment and physical maltreatment against children: A community study on Chinese
parents in Hong Kong”, Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 893-907, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012),
Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
In a survey of 484 secondary school students, 16.7% had experienced non-contact corporal punishment,
including being forced to run, stand, kneel down, not eat or suffer cold in the winter) from their mothers
before the age of 16, 14.5% from their fathers; 53% had experienced this from a teacher.
Chen, J. Q. & Liao, W. (2005), “Childhood Non-contact Corporal Punishment Revealed in the Questionnaire Survey of
Technical Secondary School Students”, Chinese Mental Health Journal, 19(4), 243-246 [in Chinese], cited in UNICEF East
Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review
of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
In a pilot questionnaire survey in 2004 of 528 students from a college and a technical secondary school in
Hebie province, 57.6% of students reported having received corporal punishment on at least one occasion.
A similar number (53.4%) reported receiving “non-contact” corporal punishment by teachers when aged
below 16 years, including running, standing, kneeling etc; 16.1% reported hitting/kicking/pushing very
hard with open hands or another part of the body; 10.2% reported beating with an object; and 0.2%
reported being locked in a cupboard or tied with a rope. No significant correlation was found between
corporal punishment and residence (rural or non-rural), parental education or number of children in the
family.
Jing-qi, C. et al (2006), “A retrospective survey of childhood corporal punishment by school teachers on students”, Chinese
Journal of Paediatrics, 44(1), 26-30
A retrospective survey of nearly 1,000 university students in China and England, carried out between
2001 and 2004, looked at their experiences of parental discipline and their attitudes towards it. Of the
Chinese students, 60% of boys and 50% of girls reported being hit by their parents as children; beating
with a stick, rod or branch was reported by 37% of boys and 36% of girls. Fathers were more likely to be
the parent using physical punishment than mothers. Of those who had been physically punished, 42% of
boys and 41% of girls said they were punished for being “disobedient”, 33% of boys and 25% of girls for
being “naughty”, 25% of boys and 18% of girls for having poor results at school, and 25% of boys and
45% of girls for being “wilful”.
Hester, M. et al (2009), “Girls’ and boys’ experiences and perceptions of parental discipline and punishment while growing up
in China and England”, Child Abuse Review, 18, 401-413
Colombia
In a 2005 study involving 26,060 women aged 15-49 with children, 62.6% reported that children in their
home were physically punished (61.4%% by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped, 1.2% by other
physical punishment). Women who had experienced partner violence were more likely to report that
children in their home were physically punished (69.2% of women who had experienced partner violence
compared to 57.6% of women who had not).
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Colombia 68% of girls and 63% of boys had experienced
“mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the
hand, arm, or leg; shaking, or hitting with an object), and 15% of girls and 4% of boys severe corporal
punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears or beating the child repeatedly with an
implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller percentages of parents believed it
was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for girls, 14% of mothers and 13% of
fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 19% of mothers and 8% of fathers.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A qualitative research study about children’s ideas, attitudes and feelings about punishment found that
parents punish their children by hitting them with objects, spanking them, scolding them, forbidding them
things they like and not allowing them to leave their bedrooms. Children said they felt bad, bored, guilty,
angry and confused when they were punished. They suggested that instead of hitting or humiliating them,
parents should talk to them about their behaviour. The study was carried out in 2006 and involved eight
girls and five boys from Bogotá.
Duque-Páramo, M. C. (2008), “No me gusta, pero está bien si me porto mal”, Investigación en Enfermería: Imagen y
Desarrollo, 10(1), 113-134, Bogotá
As part of a study of the impact of publicly funded early childhood education centres in Bogotá, the kinds
of punishments used on children were examined. Interviews were carried out with 97 fathers and mothers
and 97 children aged 5-6 years, in which 63% of parents reported seldom using physical punishment and
1% reported using it a lot. Of those who said they smacked their children, 47% said they used their hand,
44% a belt, 10% a slipper or shoe, and 2% a paddle or broom. In the four months prior to the interviews,
the most recent punishment had been smacking for 32% and scolding for 11%. Interviews with the
children revealed higher incidences of corporal punishment, including 83% reporting punishment by
smacking. Various ways of being hit were reported by the children, including with a belt (70%), the hand
(31%), a slipper (27%), whip (5%), paddle (5%), shoe (5%), and switch (3%). Reasons given for the
punishment included disobedience (27%), not doing homework or poor performance at school (29%) and
talking back or being rude (12%).
Pineda, N. et al (2005), Evaluación de Algunas Modalidades de Atención a la Primera Infancia en el ICBF y el DABS, Bogotá,
Cinde, Save the Children UK, UNICEF, Colombian Institute for Family Welfare and Bogotá Social Welfare Department,
reported in International Save the Children Alliance (2005), Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment of Children – Making
it Happen: Global Submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Save the Children Sweden
Congo, Republic of
A 2011 study found that 25.9% of 5-11 year olds and 20.4% of 12-14 year olds had experienced “very
violent” corporal punishment.
Reported in Government responses to list of issues adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2 December 2013,
CRC/C/COG/Q/2-4/Add.1
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 87% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. More than two thirds (69%) experienced physical punishment and 80%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller
percentage (22%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Costa Rica
In a 2009 study involving interviews with 1,201 people responsible for the care of a child aged 2-17,
86.6% knew of the 2008 law banning physical and other humiliating punishment of children and nearly
two thirds (64.4%) totally agreed or somewhat agreed with the law. When asked the reason for their
response, a quarter said they agreed because bringing up children should not be based on physical
punishment. Over half (56%) totally disagreed or somewhat disagreed that “if a child is disobedient
it is acceptable for the parent to hit him or her” and 78.8% totally disagreed or somewhat disagreed that
“if a child is violent it is acceptable for the parent to hit him or her”. Around half (48.7%) of respondents
said the child they cared for had been spanked by them or another adult in their household during the past
year: 21.2% said the child had been spanked once or twice, 16.6% three to five times and 10.9% six or
more times; 77.2% said they had been spanked when they were children.
Consejo Nacional de La Niñez y la Adolescencia & Pani (2009), Estudio de Conocimientos, Actitudes y Prácticas en materia de
Patrones de Crianza en Costa Rica: Informe Técnico De La Encuesta Nacional Sobre Patrones De Crianza
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011, 46% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. More than two thirds (73%) experienced physical punishment and 88% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage
(39%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Cote d'Ivoire
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 91% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the study. Nearly three quarters experienced physical punishment, while a smaller
percentage (39%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 91% of children. More than one child in five
was severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 88% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
sex, age, household size, level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Croatia
A survey commissioned by UNICEF of more than 1,700 parents of 0-6 year olds found that 12% of
parents believed corporal punishment was effective. More than 30% of parents of 3 year olds said that in
the past week, they had “smacked” or pulled the hair of their child.
Reported by UNICEF Croatia, 25 April 2013
A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In Croatia, of the 1,451 men who participated, 67% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 35% threatened with physical punishment
in the home and 24% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people; 30% reported having
been beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher. The study found that men who had experienced
violence, including corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate intimate
partner violence, hold inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or robberies,
pay for sex and experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate in domestic
duties, communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is pregnant
and/or take paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
Curacao
A study involving 545 high school students aged 11-17 found that 37.4% had been badly shaken,
squeezed hard, thrown against a wall or to the ground, grabbed by the throat, beaten with a hard object,
beaten in the face or attacked with a hot or sharp object or a weapon by their mother, father or another
caregiver; 19.6% had experienced this in the past year. Fifteen per cent had been grabbed by the throat,
beaten or wounded with a sharp or hot object or a weapon, 10.1% in the past year. No significant
differences between girls’ and boys’ experiences, or the experiences of students with different family
incomes, were found.
Klein, K. (2010), De prevalentie van kindermishandeling onder middelbare scholieren op Curaçao en de visie van huisartsen
op de signalering aldaar, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen
A study involving 545 high school students aged 11-17 found that 37.4% of respondents had been badly
shaken, squeezed hard, thrown against a wall or to the ground, grabbed by the throat, beaten with a hard
object, beaten in the face or attacked with a hot or sharp object or a weapon by their mother, father or
another caregiver. Nearly one in five (19.6%) had experienced this in the past year. Fifteen per cent of
respondents had been grabbed by the throat, beaten or wounded with a sharp or hot object or a weapon;
10.1% in the past year. No significant differences between girls’ and boys’ experiences, or the
experiences of students with different family incomes, were found.
Klein, K. (2010), De prevalentie van kindermishandeling onder middelbare scholieren op Curaçao en de visie van huisartsen
op de signalering aldaar, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen
Cyprus
A study involving focus groups and face to face interviews with 104 13-22 year olds with experience of
youth custody in Austria, Cyprus, England, the Netherlands and Romania found that in Cyprus, the
majority of young people felt that violence was used by staff in custodial settings as a punishment or as a
form of coercion, or as a means to show power.
Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2013), Speaking Freely: Children and Young People in Europe Talk about Ending
Violence Against Children in Custody – Research Report, London: CRAE
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Czech Republic
A 2011 poll found that about 30% of teachers at Czech elementary schools had slapped a pupil, despite
corporal punishment being unlawful.
Reported in Prague Daily Monitor, 25 November 2011, praguemonitor.com
A 2006 public opinion poll by Median agency for the daily Mladá fronta Dnes found that 25% of the 636
respondents supported the use of corporal punishment in schools, more commonly among respondents
aged 45-50 years than among those with school aged children.
Reported in The Prague Post, 20 June 2007
As part of a Government-sponsored campaign on violence against children in 2009, research was
undertaken into public tolerance of corporal punishment of children. Almost half (49.9%) of those
surveyed felt that corporal punishment may be necessary in some situations; a quarter (24.8%) were in
favour of smacking or slapping children as part of their upbringing and did not view this as corporal
punishment; 11% expressed a strong belief in the use of corporal punishment in childrearing. Only 8.3%
were not in favour of corporal punishment and said they would never use it.
Reported in the Government’s written replies to the List of Issues of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child, 10 May 2011, CRC/C/CZE/Q/3-4/Add.1
A poll in April 2007 conducted by the Median agency for the daily Lidove noviny found that three fifths
were against a law banning corporal punishment of children. Nearly three out of four (71.5%) reported
having been beaten in childhood, and 25% of parents admitted to using it on their children occasionally or
regularly; only 31% said they had never beaten their children.
Reported in Ceske Noviny, 8 April 2008
Denmark
A survey of 1,008 students aged 12-16 found that 9.6% thought “a child can be corporally punished using
mild forms of punishment (e.g. smacking)”. However, 81.8% thought “a child should never be corporally
punished”; 83% disagreed that “parents have a right to use mild forms of corporal punishment on their
children (e.g. smacking)” and 89% agreed that “children must be protected from all forms of violence”.
UNICEF (2011), Nordic Study on Child Rights to Participate 2009-2010, Innolink Research
A 2010 study involving nearly 3,000 young people in Denmark found that 20% had been pushed, pulled,
had their hair pulled, been hit with a flat hand, fist or an object or been kicked by a parent in the past year;
8% had experienced this once, 12% more than once.
Korzen, S. et al (2010), Vold mod Unge i Danmark, SFI - Det Nationale Forskningscenter For Velfærd
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Djibouti
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 72% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Two thirds experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(31%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 83% of children. More than one child in five was
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 57% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). The prevalence of violent discipline rose with age, with 75% of 10-14 year olds experiencing it
compared to 66% of 2-4 year olds. Children living in larger households were more likely to experience
violent discipline (75% of children in households of 6 or more people compared to 62% of children in
households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children with more siblings are more likely to
experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the study. No significant differences in
children’s experience of violent discipline (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) were
found according to sex, level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
Interviews with 1,669 children aged 9-14 in 19 schools revealed that school corporal punishment is
widespread. More than a quarter (27.6%) said they had been hit with an object such as a ruler, stick or
“tuyau” (a PVC pipe), 19.5% forced to kneel in front of the class or outside as a punishment and 14.1%
had been pinched or had their hair or ears pulled. The study also examined the academic achievement of
students, and concluded that the schools with the best results are those in which least corporal punishment
is used, and that students in these schools feel most secure.
Debarbieux, E. (2006), “Pourqui pas un bonne fessée? Une recherche sur le châtiment corporel à l’école”, SPIRALE - Revue de
Recherches en Éducation, 37, 83-95, available at spirale-edu-revue.fr/IMG/pdf/8_Debarbieux_Spirale_37.pdf (in French)
Dominica
A study which involved focus group discussions with 403 children aged 6-16 found that only 15% had
never been physically punished at home; only 14% had never been physically punished by a teacher. In
both homes and schools, the most common object used to hit children was a stick or cane, followed by a
strap or belt and then a hand.
Le Franc, E. R. M. et al (2009), Violence Against Children: An Evaluation of the Protective Environment – Participant
Assessment Methodology: A Case Study In Dominica, UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean & Government
of Dominica
Dominican Republic
According to statistics collected in 2005-2006 by UNICEF, 83% of 2-14 year olds experienced physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression in in the home in the month prior to the survey: 45%
experienced physical punishment and psychological aggression, 27% psychological aggression only and
12% physical punishment only. In total, 57% experienced physical punishment, while only 9% of mothers
and caregivers believe that physical punishment is necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 67% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Forty-five per cent experienced physical punishment and 50% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (8%)
of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
DPR Korea
A 2012 report documents the human rights abuses, including severe corporal punishment and torture,
taking place in penal labour colonies, prisons, prison camps and other institutions of detention. Children
are often detained with their families in these institutions. The report estimates that 150,000-200,000
people are incarcerated in penal labour colonies.
Hawk, D. (2012), The Hidden Gulag: The Lives and Voices of “Those Who are Sent to the Mountains”, second edition,
Washington DC: Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
The commission of inquiry on human rights in the DPR Korea published its detailed findings in 2014.
The report documents cruel and degrading treatment of children as of adults in the political prison camps,
frequently imposed as punishment for the slightest mistake and inflicted in special punishment blocks –
“Children are not spared from even the cruellest punishments”. Also documented is the widespread
infliction by state actors of physical punishment on children outside the political camps – including harsh
physical punishment of children imposed in the guise of “discipline” during training for the Mass Games
and beatings inflicted in the children’s shelters to which street children are taken.
7 February 2014, A/HRC/25/CRP.1, Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, paras. 173-175, 372 and 760
DR Congo
In a study involving interviews with 708 men and 754 women in Goma, 57% reported having been
slapped on the face by parents or other adults in the home as a child. Fifty-four per cent of women and
47% of men said that as a child, they had been insulted or humiliated in front of others by someone in
their family, and 50% of both men and women reported being threatened with physical punishment in the
home.
Sonke Gender Justice Network & Promundo (2012), Gender Relations, Sexual Violence and the Effects of Conflict on Women
and Men in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – Preliminary Results from the International Men and Gender
Equality Survey (IMAGES)
A study by the African Child Policy Forum in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Nigeria and Senegal found that hitting, beating and forced hard work were the most prevalent
forms of violence against girls, and that most of the physical violence experienced by girls was corporal
punishment. The study involved a survey of 3,025 young women (nearly 600 per country) aged 18-24
about the violence they had experienced in their childhood. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
74% had been hit during their childhood, 83% beaten, 25% kicked, 48% denied food, 7% choked or
burned and 29% forced to do hard work. Parents and close relatives were the most common perpetrators
of physical violence.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Childhood Scars in Africa: A Retrospective Study on Violence Against Girls in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 92% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey; 37% experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement).
Ministry of Planning et al (2011), Democratic Republic of Congo: Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010 summary report,
Ministry of Planning, National Institute of Statistics & UNICEF
Ecuador
A 2012 study by the Observatorio de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia, UNICEF, Plan
International and other NGOs found that 44% of children experienced being punished by being beaten,
compared to 40% in a similar study in 2000. The reasons for punishment included not obeying rules
(47%), poor grades (14%), not doing housework (12%) and being late (8%).
Reported in La Hora, 30 May 2012
Egypt
A study which involved 400 9-14 year olds and their mothers found that 76% were sometimes physically
punished by their mother – 39% once or twice a week, 3.5% once a day and 2.8% more than once a day.
Children who were physically punished by their mother were more likely to say they had a poor
relationship with their parents, siblings, peers and teachers than those who were not physically punished
by their mothers.
Abolfotouh, M. A. et al (2009), “Corporal punishment: Mother’s disciplinary behavior and child’s psychological profile in
Alexandria, Egypt”, Journal of Forensic Nursing 5, 5-17
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 92% of children aged 2-14 experienced physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression in the home in the month prior to the survey: 68%
experienced physical punishment and psychological aggression, 22% psychological aggression only and
2% physical punishment only; 40% were hit on the face, head or ears, hit repeatedly or hit hard.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 91% of children aged 2-14
experienced “violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Eighty-two per cent experienced physical punishment and 83% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage
(42%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children aged under 18, carried out between 1998
and 2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States.
In Egypt, 81% of children experienced “moderate” physical discipline (including being “spanked” on the
buttocks, hit with an object, slapped on the face and having hot pepper put in their mouth). Over one
quarter of children (28%) experienced harsh physical discipline (including being burnt, beaten up, kicked
and smothered). Nearly two thirds of children (64%) experienced harsh psychological discipline such as
being called names, being cursed and being threatened with abandonment. “Moderate” psychological
discipline, including being yelled or screamed at or being refused food was experienced by 77% of
children. Non-violent discipline, including explaining why a behaviour was wrong and telling a child to
stop, was also widely used (experienced by 86% of children). The study found that rates of harsh physical
discipline were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of official physical abuse in
any country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among communities within the same
country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
Equatorial Guinea
In 2008 and 2009, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Advancement of Women (MINASPROM)
conducted a National Child Protection Study, involving 749 children, 100 teachers and 152 parents.
Preliminary analysis revealed that 80% of children and adolescents had received physical punishment or
verbal abuse in the family. In 2011, UNICEF reported that a study had found that 54% of children had
experienced corporal punishment at school.
Reported in 14 April 2011, CEDAW/C/GNQ/6 Advance Unedited Version, Sixth state party report to the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, paras. 56 and 57; UNICEF (2011), Annual Report 2011 - Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
A 2012 survey of 1,000 adults and 1,000 10-17 year olds found that 25% of parents did not consider
physical punishment of children a form of violence. One third (33%) of parents agreed that “in some
circumstances corporal punishment of children is necessary and justified”, 65% disagreed; 38% of parents
thought “in some circumstances corporal punishment of children is understandable”.
Karu, M. et al (2012), Monitoring of the Rights of the Child and Parenting, Praxis Centre for Policy Studies
The 2009 annual report of the National Preventive Mechanism of Estonia found that children in a special
school and in a children’s shelter were punished by being locked in an isolation room, sometimes wearing
only their underwear. The 2008 and 2010 reports had similar findings.
Chancellor of Justice (2010), 2009 Overview of the Chancellor of Justice activities for the prevention of torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: statistics of proceedings
In a survey of 475 parents of children under 18, 60% disagreed that “in some circumstances corporal
punishment of children is necessary and justified”, 20% agreed, and 20% were in the middle (tending to
agree or tending to disagree). Sixty-one per cent agreed that “corporal punishment of children is violence
and not a method”, 23% disagreed and 16% were in the middle. More than half (56%) disagreed that “in
some circumstances corporal punishment of children is reasonable”, 20% agreed and 24% were in the
middle. A large majority (84%) disagreed that “in some circumstances, solving problems between grownups with physical action is acceptable”, 4% agreed and 11% were in the middle. Overall, 47% agreed or
tended to agree that “corporal punishment of a child is sometimes inevitable”.
European Social Survey (2010), Additional Module about Estonia
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In a survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,517 people aged 15-74, 14% totally agreed and 33%
agreed that “corporal punishment of children is sometimes inevitable”, 49% disagreed or totally
disagreed. Eighty-nine per cent totally disagreed or disagreed that “physical reprimanding of a spouse or
partner is sometimes inevitable”. Sixty-three per cent agreed or totally agreed that “people should
interfere if they see or hear a violent domestic quarrel”, 23% disagreed or totally disagreed.
Järviste, L. (2010), Gender Equality and Inequality: Attitudes and Situation in Estonia in 2009, Policy Analysis: Series of the
Ministry of Social Affairs No 3/2010
Ethiopia
A study involving 47 focus group discussions and 26 interviews with children and adults found that
corporal punishment was widespread: 68% of the focus groups who discussed parental corporal
punishment said beating was common, 15% said it was rare and 17% said it did not happen; 63% of the
groups who discussed corporal punishment by teachers said beating was common, 6% rare and 31% it did
not happen. Corporal punishment usually involved children being beaten with a hand or a stick. Other
punishments included shouting at children, pinching them, forcing them to maintain painful positions and
forcing them to look at the sun.
Lelieveld, M. (2011), Child Protection in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, BRIDGES Project, Feinstein International Center &
Tufts University
A 2010 African Child Policy Forum report on violence against children with disabilities in Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia documented a very high level of violence. Nearly a thousand 18
-24 year olds took part in the study across the five countries, reporting on their experiences as children. In
Ethiopia, 68% had experienced at least one type of physical violence during their childhood. Over 50%
had been hit, punched, kicked or beaten; over 25% had been denied food. The most common perpetrators
of physical violence were mothers (12.5%), fathers (12.1%) and other relatives (15%). Across the five
countries, 23% said they had experienced physical violence that was “mostly discipline, reasonable and
justified”, 27% physical violence that was “mostly discipline but not reasonable or justified”. Twenty-six
per cent said they had experienced emotional violence that was “discipline, but not reasonable or
justified”, 22% that was “disciplinary, reasonable and justified”. Across all five countries, more than half
(54%) of those who had been physically beaten said they had suffered broken bones, teeth, bleeding or
bruising; 2% had been permanently disabled; 21% required medical attention; 13% had to miss school or
work; and 20% had needed rest at home. For all five countries, the majority of respondents with physical,
visual and intellectual disabilities experienced physical violence more than 10 times. The report
recommends prohibition of all corporal punishment, including in the home, as a way to minimise the risk
of violence against children with disabilities.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Violence Against Children With Disabilities in Africa: Field Studies from Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
A 2010 study into childcare institutions in Ethiopia studied 87 institutions through visits, document
reviews, interviews and focus groups with institution staff, parents of children living in institutions and
former residents. The study found that children in institutions were frequently subjected to physical,
sexual, and psychological abuse and exploitation. In focus group discussions, foster care was also
discussed. Participants stated that children in foster care, too, often experienced violence at the hands of
their caregivers, and that foster children were treated as “second-class citizens”. The report does not
examine the extent to which the violence was inflicted in the context of “discipline”.
FHI (2010), Improving Care Options for Children in Ethiopia through Understanding Institutional Child Care and Factors
Driving Institutionalization
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study in 116 schools in various areas of Ethiopia, which looked at violence against girls in schools,
found that 34% of students but only 25% of teachers stated that girls experience corporal punishment in
schools.
Save the Children Denmark (2008), A study on violence against girls in primary schools and its impacts on girls’ education in
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, www.ungei.org/resources/files/Study_on_Violence_Against_Schoolgfils_final.pdf
A survey of 485 women in Ethiopia aged 18-24 concerning their childhood experiences of violence,
undertaken by the Africa Child Policy Forum and published in 2006, found that 84% had suffered one or
more types of violence. Beating with an object was found to be the most prevalent form of physical
violence (71.1%). Prevalence figures for other forms of physical abuse were 59.5% for punching, 43.3%
kicking, 28.6% being forced to carry out hard work, 12.4% being choked/burned/stabbed, 10.9% having
spicy/bitter food put into mouth, 9.7% being locked up, and 8.3% being denied food. Girls were most
vulnerable to being beaten with an object when aged 10-13 (59.4%) and to being hit/punched when aged
14-17 (58.4%). Experiencing the violence more than ten times was more likely in the case of beating than
other types of physical violence except for hard work. Most beating with an object and hitting/punching
was carried out by mothers (45.2% and 27.2% respectively), followed by fathers (39.1% and 21.5%) and
brothers (23.9% and 24%). In 55.5% of cases, the hitting/punching resulted in “bruises or scratches,
broken bones or teeth, or bleeding”, 32.2% for beating with an object. The most frequent reasons given to
the girls by the perpetrators of the violence were reported as doing something wrong, disrupting the
home/class, going out without permission or coming in late, failing to complete an assignment, refusing
to accept a proposal for love or sex, giving a confrontational reply, and going out with men.
Stavropoulos, J. (2006), Violence Against Girls in Africa: A Retrospective Survey in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, Addis Ababa,
The African Child Policy Forum
In a study of over 1,800 children and nearly 500 adults in five regions, only 17 children (1.4%) stated
they had never experienced corporal punishment in any setting. Of the 1,223 children who completed a
questionnaire, 74.1% reported having been hit with a stick in the home, 73.3% hit on the head, 70.3%
slapped, 69.1% pinched, 63.7% whipped with a belt, and 53.1% forced to kneel down. With regard to
corporal punishment in schools, 72% reported having been hit with a stick, 40.9% hit with a plastic tube
or electric wire, 38.7% whipped with a belt and 77.8% hit on the head. High levels of psychological
punishment were also reported.
Save the Children Sweden & African Child Policy Forum (2005), Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment against
Children: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: Save the Children Sweden in Eastern and Central Africa
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
81% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Fiji
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 72% of children aged 2-14 years old experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2011), The State of the World’s Children, Table 9: Child Protection, www.unicef.org/sowc, NY: UNICEF
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A study carried out in 2008 found that 37% of the 248 16-17 year olds involved had been physically hurt
by an adult at home in the past month; 72% of the 338 adults surveyed said they sometimes hit, smacked,
pinched, kicked or “donged” children, or pulled or twisted their ears. When asked why parents and
teachers might physically abuse children, high proportions of interviewees replied “discipline” or
“punishment” (37% for parents, 44% for teachers). Three quarters of interviewees working in education
said teachers in their school “hit, smack, kick, dong, pinch or pull or twist children’s ears,” 31% of
children who attended school said they had been physically hurt by a teacher in the past month and 9% of
adults said a child in their household had told them about being physically hurt by a teacher in the past
month. Children said that the top three implements teachers used to hurt them were an open hand (38%),
a stick (32%) and a closed fist (8%) and that teachers hitting children is the number one thing which
makes them feel unsafe in schools. Children in conflict with the law were sometimes physically punished
in their communities: 4% of community leaders and people working in and with the justice system said
physical punishment was used to deal with children in conflict with the law when the police were not
involved, 7% said it was used when a case of a child in conflict with the law was informally diverted to
the village or community and 5% said it was used when cases were formally diverted at police or court
level.
UNICEF & AusAid (2009), Protect me with love and care: A Baseline Report for creating a future free from violence, abuse and
exploitation of girls and boys in Fiji, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Fiji involved 536 children (244 boys, 292 girls) aged 10-17 from urban, semi-urban and rural areas,
and 101 adults (49 men and 52 women, teachers in the schools and members of four community
settlements in the Central Division). The research team led 51 sessions with the children, boys and girls
separately, and two age groups – 10-13 years and 14-17 years. Methods included research diaries,
drawings, body maps, attitude survey, sentence completion, and discussions. Most punishments
experienced by children were direct assaults, more frequently for younger children, including being
beaten, hit, slapped or lashed, smacked, whacked, given a hiding, spanked, punched, “donged” (on the
head) and pinched. Nine out of ten 10-13 year old boys and almost eight out of ten 14-17 year old boys
reported the use of physical punishments; 71% of girls in both age groups reported this. More punishment
was administered by immediate family members (parents 48%) than by teachers (45%); for all girls and
younger boys, most punishments were experienced in the home; for older boys the majority of
punishment happened at school. Reasons for the punishment included disobedience, unsatisfactory
academic performance and misbehaviour. In response to the statement “After I punish a child I feel
unhappy”, 38% of adults disagreed, 57% agreed, and 5% had no opinion.
Save the Children (2006), The Physical and Emotional Punishment of Children in Fiji: A research report, Suva, Save the
Children Fiji. See also Beazley, H., S. Bessell, et al. (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the
physical and emotional punishment of children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Finland
A study carried out in 2011, which involved a survey of a representative sample of 4,609 15-80 year olds
from Western Finland, found that the proportion of people who were slapped and beaten with an object
during childhood decreased after corporal punishment was prohibited in 1983. The study found that
experience of corporal punishment was associated with reporting indications of alcohol abuse, depression,
mental health problems, and schizotypal personality and with having attempted suicide in the past year.
The study examined the survey data in relation to data on murders of children and found that the decline
in physical punishment was associated with a similar decline in the number of children who were
murdered.
Österman, K. et al (2014) “Twenty‐Eight Years After the Complete Ban on the Physical Punishment of Children in Finland:
Trends and Psychosocial Concomitants”, Aggressive Behaviour, 9999, 1-14
A study by the Police College of Finland, which involved more than 3,000 parents of children under 13,
found that almost all parents knew of the prohibition of corporal punishment and that parents were very
negative about hitting children. Less than 1% of parents reported hitting their children with an object,
punching them or kicking them; 20% said they had pulled their child’s hair as a punishment.
Ellonen, N. (2012), Kurin alaiset : lasten ja vanhempien välisten ristiriitojen ratkaiseminen perheissä, Tampere :
Poliisiammattikorkeakoulu
A series of six nationally representative surveys carried out between 1981 and 2014 show a consistent
decline in adult acceptance of corporal punishment, from 47% in 1981 to 15% in 2014. In the 2012
survey, 10% of parents agreed that corporal punishment of children was acceptable and 97% were aware
of the prohibition of corporal punishment.
Sariola, H. (2012), Violence against children and child sexual abuse in Finland, presentation given at the Central Union for
Child Welfare, Helsinki 30 August 2012; Central Union for Child Welfare (2012), Attitudes to disciplinary violence, Finland:
Central Union for Child Welfare & Taloustutkimus Oy; reported by Central Union for Child Welfare, 9 April 2014
In a survey of 1,044 students aged 12-16, 55.8% thought “a child should never be corporally punished”;
27% thought “a child can be corporally punished using mild forms of punishment (e.g. smacking)”.
However, 65.8% disagreed that “parents have a right to use mild forms of corporal punishment on their
children (e.g. smacking)”; 87% agreed that “children must be protected from all forms of violence”.
UNICEF (2011), Nordic Study on Child Rights to Participate 2009-2010, Innolink Research
Studies on violence experienced by children in Finland examined the prevalence of corporal punishment
in 1988 and 2008. The 2008 study, published by the Police College of Finland, involved over 13,000
children aged 12-15 and was designed to allow direct comparison with research carried out in 1988. In
1988, around a quarter of children had been “smacked” before age 14, and around two thirds had had
their hair pulled. In 2008, around 10% had been “smacked” and around a third had had their hair pulled.
The overall percentage of children who had experienced “mild” punitive violence from their parents
declined from 72% in 1988 to 32% in 2008; the percentage of children who had experienced severe
punitive violence dropped from 8% to 4%. There had been a clear reduction in all forms of corporal
punishment and other parental violence against children in the past 20 years, with the most significant
reduction in the “relatively mild forms of violence previously considered socially acceptable types of
corporal punishment” (p. 160).
Ellonen, N., Kääriäinen, J. Salmi, V. & Sariola, H. (2008), Lasten ja nuorten väkivaltakokemukset. Tutkimus peruskoulun 6. - 9.
luokan oppilaiden kokemasta väkivallasta, Poliisiammattikorkeakoulun Raportteja 71/2008
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In 2004, 46% of a sample of 6,160 15 and 16 year olds reported having been physically punished by their
parents at some point in their lives; 7% reported this during the past year.
Ellonen, N. et al (2007), Violence concentrated on children and young people in the light of statistics and questionnaires, Police
College Press Releases 64/2007, Legal Policy Institute 80, cited in Durrant, J. & Smith, A. (2011), Global Pathways to
Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, NY: Routledge
France
A study carried out in 2007 examined five European countries – Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Five thousand parents (1,000 in each nation) were interviewed about their use of and attitude
towards corporal punishment, their own experiences of violence and their knowledge and beliefs about
the law. In France, 72% said they had “mildly” slapped their child on the face, 87% on the bottom; 32%
had given their child a “resounding” slap on the face, and 4.5% had beaten their child with an object.
Nerly eight per cent (7.9%) never used corporal punishment; 85% agreed that “one should try to use as
little corporal punishment as possible”, and 825% agreed that “non-violent child-rearing is the ideal”.
Bussmann, K. D. (2009), The Effect of Banning Corporal Punishment in Europe: A Five-Nation Comparison, Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg
A survey by the Union of Families in Europe (UFE) of 2,000 grandparents, parents and children found
that 95% of adults and 96% of children have been smacked; 84% of grandparents and 87% of parents
have administered corporal punishment. One in ten parents admitted to punishing their children with a
“martinet” (a small whip); 30% of children said they had been punished with a martinet. When asked the
reason for smacking their children, parents said it was part of “bringing up” their children (77%), it was to
“relieve their feelings” (7%) or both of these things. When asked how they planned to discipline their
own children when they become parents, 64% of children responded “the same”; 61% of grandparents
and 53% of parents said they oppose a ban on corporal punishment of children.
Union of Families in Europe (2007), POUR ou CONTRE les fessées?, Tassin: UFE
Gambia
The Gambia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) carried out in 2010 found that 90% of children
aged 2-14 had been physically and/or psychologically punished by their mothers/caregivers or other
household members in the month prior to the survey. Seventy-four per cent of children had experienced
physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (38.9%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical
punishment was necessary in childrearing; 18% of children experienced severe physical punishment
(being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement). The survey
involved 14,685 women in 7,791 households.
The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (2011), The Gambia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010, Final Report, Banjul: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A UNICEF report published in 2010, which analysed statistics collected in 2005-2006, found that 87% of
children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological
aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Nearly three quarters experienced physical
punishment, while a smaller percentage (32%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment
was necessary in childrearing; non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 90% of
children. Nearly a quarter of children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head
or ears or hit over and over with an implement), 77% experienced psychological aggression (being
shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience
violent discipline than younger children (88% of 5-9 year olds compared to 83% of 2-4 year olds).
Children living in larger households were more likely to experience violent discipline (88% of children in
households of 6 or more people compared to 75% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics
also suggest that children with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most
countries involved in the study. Children living in households with adults with a higher average level of
education were less likely to experience violent discipline than those living with less educated adults.
Children engaged in child labour experienced violent discipline slightly more than those who were not
engaged in child labour (93% compared to 89%). No significant differences in children’s experience of
violent discipline were found according to sex.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
In a study involving questionnaires with 878 children, 265 teachers and 426 parents, children reported
that corporal punishment is used in 70% of schools: 68% of students were beaten at school “sometimes”,
8% “often”, 11% “very often” and 13% “rarely”. Students were beaten with belts, canes and rulers. At
home, 55% of children reported that parents or guardians beat them “sometimes”, 22% “rarely”, 8%
“often” and 14% “very often”. Children were beaten on the back, buttocks, head, face and all over their
bodies. Girls were more likely to be beaten on the face – 62% of children beaten on the face were girls;
boys were more likely to be beaten on the buttocks – 61% of children beaten on the buttocks were boys.
Younger children were more likely to be beaten on the face, with 18% of children aged 7 and under
beaten on the face compared to 10% of 8-12 year olds, 6% of 13-15 year olds and 5% of 16-19 year olds.
Nearly half (47%) of children had been injured by a punishment: of these, 31% were bruised, 17% cut,
25% suffered internal bleeding, 12% lost a tooth and 10% had an arm dislocated or fractured. Four
children in ten had at some time decided not to go to school for fear of being beaten or punished by a
teacher and 47% of children knew of another child who left school because of corporal punishment or
fear of a teacher. Seven children in ten believed that corporal punishment makes children fear their
teachers or parents instead of respecting them. Half the children said that if they became teachers, they
would not beat their students. Children who had been beaten by teachers were much more likely to say
they would beat their students than children who had not been beaten (38% compared to 7%). Similarly,
more children who were beaten by parents or guardians at home said they would beat their children when
they grew up than those who were not beaten at home (61% compared to 37%). Nearly three quarters
(73%) of teachers reported beating students “rarely”, 17% “often” and 9% “very often”. Corporal
punishment was more likely to be used in schools for younger children: 80% of kindergarten teachers
reported using corporal punishment, compared to 27% of senior secondary school teachers. Almost all
teachers (97%) were beaten when they were students; however, 71% of those who were not beaten said
they would in turn not beat their students, while 59% of teachers who were beaten would beat their
Tang, J. (2005), Beating the Misconceptions, Not the Children, The Gambia: The Child Protection Alliance
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 nearly three quarters of
girls and women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain
circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Georgia
A study of foster care, small group homes and day care centres, which involved interviews with foster
parents, managers, staff, children and parents, found that in day care centres and foster homes, children
experienced corporal punishment including being spanked, having their hair or ears pulled, being yelled
at and being threatened.
EveryChild (2011), Advocacy for Participation to Protect Children’s Rights: Georgia – Needs Assessment of the Alternative
Child Care Services
The 2011 report of the Public Defender of Georgia on the monitoring of residential childcare institutions
documented corporal punishment in large residential institutions, small group homes and schools attended
by children living in childcare institutions, including children having their ears pulled, being beaten with a
stick and being shaken. The report was based on interviews with 212 children, 110 of whom were living
in large residential institutions and 102 of whom were living in small group homes. It was carried out in
the capacity of the Public Defender of Georgia as National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional
Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and followed on from the 2010 report of the Public Defender,
which had similar findings.
Public Defender of Georgia (2012), Report on the Monitoring of Residential Childcare Institutions for 2011, Council of Europe
& Public Defender of Georgia
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 67% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Half experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (13%) of
mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent discipline
was also widely used, experienced by 77% of children. One fifth of children experienced severe physical
punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement),
59% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys were slightly
more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (70% compared to 63%). Children aged 5-9 were
more likely to experience violent discipline than other children (73% of 5-9 year olds compared to 69% of
2-4 year olds and 61% of 10-14 year olds). Children engaged in child labour experienced violent
discipline more than those who were not engaged in child labour (75% compared to 65%). No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to household size or level
of education of adults in the household.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 17% of children with
disabilities aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible
with an implement, compared to 25% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study carried out in 2007-2008 found that, according to parents’ and carers’ reports, 79.8% of children
had experienced physical discipline in the past year and 82.3% had experienced psychological
punishments. Common types of physical punishment included “spanking” children on the bottom with a
bare hand, shaking them and twisting their ears. Over seven children in ten (71.1%) living in social care
institutions reported experiencing physical violence in their institutions in the past year: 29% of these said
the violence was perpetrated only by other children, 12% only by adults and in 58% by both children and
adults. At school, 47.1% of children had experienced physical violence in the past year: 32% of these said
only children were the perpetrators, 25% only adults and 27% both children and adults. The first phase of
the study, which examined violence in homes and social care institutions, involved interviews with 1,650
parents and carers of children aged under 11, 1,050 children aged 11-17 who were living at home and 301
children aged 11-17 who were living in social care residential institutions. The second phase examined
violence in schools and involved 1,300 children aged 11-17, in 99 schools.
Lynch, M. A, Saralidze, L., Goguadze, N. & Zolotor, A. (2008), National Study on Violence against Children in Georgia,
UNICEF & IPSCAN
The 2010 report of the Public Defender of Georgia documented corporal punishment in children’s homes
and schools attended by children living in children’s homes, including children being beaten with a stick,
having their hair pulled, being slapped, having their ears “boxed”, being insulted and being denied food.
The report was based on visits to 15 children’s homes.
Public Defender of Georgia (2010), Annual Report for 2010: Monitoring of Children’s Homes, Council of Europe & Public
Defender of Georgia
A study in 2005 on Early Childhood Development and Preschools Education in Georgia found that child
rearing and discipline is primarily the responsibility of the mother (75%) and that slapping is the most
widespread form of discipline used by parents in Georgia; 60% of families reported corporal punishments
as a common and frequent practice with a high (11%) child injury rate at home.
Iltus, S. (2005), “Early Childhood Development and Preschool Education in Georgia: Research Findings and
Recommendations”, UNICEF
Germany
In a survey carried out in 2012 by the opinion research centre Forsa, four out of ten parents said they
“gave their children the odd smack on the bottom”; 10% had slapped their children in the face.
Reported in dw.de, 13 March 2012
A 2011 study that involved 9,500 16-40 year olds found that 52% had not been physically punished in
childhood. This proportion had doubled since a similar study in 1992, when the figure was 26%. Younger
people were most likely to have never been physically punished: 63% of 16-20 year olds reported this.
The proportion of people who had experienced “light” violence in childhood decreased significantly,
from 58% in 1992 to 36% in 2011.
Pfeiffer, C. (2012), “Weniger Hiebe, mehr Liebe. Der Wandel familiärer Erziehung in Deutschland”, Centaur, 11(2), 14-17,
cited in Pfeiffer, C. (2013), Parallel Justice – Why Do We Need Stronger Support for the Victim in Society?, address at the
closing plenary session of the 18th German Congress on Crime Prevention, April 23, 2013
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study carried out in 2007 examined five European countries – Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Five thousand parents (1,000 in each nation) were interviewed about their use of and attitude
towards corporal punishment, their own experiences of violence and their knowledge and beliefs about
the law. In Germany, 43% said they had “mildly” slapped their child on the face, 68% on the bottom;
13% had given their child a “resounding” slap on the face, and 5.2% had beaten their child with an object.
Twenty-eight per cent of German parents never used corporal punishment; 88% agreed that “one should
try to use as little corporal punishment as possible”, and 87% agreed that “non-violent child-rearing is the
ideal”.
Bussmann, K. D. (2009), The Effect of Banning Corporal Punishment in Europe: A Five-Nation Comparison, Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg
A 2005 study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Justice found that 95% of parents who were
aware of the prohibition of corporal punishment considered a violence-free upbringing to be a desirable
ideal.
Bussmann, K. D. (2005), Report über die Auswirkungen des Gesetzes zur Ächtung der Gewalt, in der
Erziehung, Berlin: Bundesministerium der Justiz
A Government-commissioned follow up survey in 2005 involved 1,000 parents of 12-18 year olds, 1,000
adolescents, and 350 staff of counselling and welfare services. Knowledge of the law was found to have
increased among parents since 2001 but had decreased among adolescents exposed to violent
childrearing.
Bussmann, K.-D. (2007), reported in Bussmann, K.-D. (2011), “Germany: Background and Legal
Consequences of the Right to be Raised Without Violence”, in Durrant, J. E. & Smith, a. B. (eds) (2011),
Global Pathways to Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, New York: Routledge,
pp. 134-145
Ghana
A study involving more than 1,000 girls in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique analysed the impact of
ActionAid’s 2008-2013 project “Stop Violence Against Girls in School”. The project included awareness
raising and lobbying for the adoption and implementation of legal and policy measures that ensure
education is free from corporal punishment in the three countries. The study found that in 2013 the use of
some forms of corporal punishment had reduced since the baseline survey carried out in 2009. In Ghana
in 2013 there had been slight reductions in the proportions of girls experiencing most forms of corporal
punishment since 2009 – e.g. 56% of girls had been beaten in the year prior to the survey in 2009,
compared to 47% in 2013. Girls’ most recent experiences of corporal punishment usually took place in
school. The study recommends prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and measures to implement
the prohibition.
ActionAid International (2013), Stop Violence Against Girls in School: A cross-country analysis of change in Ghana, Kenya
and Mozambique, Johannesburg: ActionAid
Three quarters (75%) of children involved in a 2012 study by Plan International said teachers were the
main perpetrators of violence in schools.
Plan International West Africa (2012), Because I am a Girl 2012 Research: Overall Report – Girls’ Retention and Performance
in Primary and Secondary Education: Makers and Breakers, Dakar: Plan International West Africa, cited in Greene, M. et al
(2012), A Girl’s Right to Learn Without Fear: Working to End Gender-Based Violence at School, Toronto: Plan Canada
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), 94% of children aged 2-14 had experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Nearly three
quarters (73%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (50%) of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Fourteen per cent of children were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 89% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted).
Ghana Statistical Service (2011), Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey with an Enhanced Malaria Module and Biomarker,
Accra: Ghana Statistical Service
A 2012 report by Human Rights Watch documented violations of the rights of children and adults with
mental disabilities – including prolonged seclusion, being permanently chained in one position, being
denied food and being beaten – in psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps (privately owned Christian
religious institutions which seek to heal persons with mental disabilities with prayer and traditional
methods).
Human Rights Watch (2012), “Like a Death Sentence”: Abuses against Persons with Mental Disabilities in Ghana, NY: Human
Rights Watch
A survey carried out by ActionAid in collaboration with Songtaba in 2009 found that seven boys in eight
thought corporal punishment – such as being caned, having their ears pulled or forced to kneel, weed or
dig pits – was necessary, while more than a quarter of the girls interviewed said they would absent
themselves from school because of the fear of punishment.
Reported in Modern Ghana, 6 September 2011, www.modernghana.com
A survey of 2,314 parents, students and graduates carried out by the Campaign for Female Education
found that 94% of parents, 92% of students and 89% of female graduates supported corporal punishment
in schools; 64% of teachers said it must be tolerated.
Reported in GhanaWeb, 18 August 2011
Government research involving 4,164 children found that 81% of children experienced corporal
punishment in the home, and that at school, caning was the main punishment, experienced by 71%.
Reported in Business Ghana, 1 February 2011
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 states that 90% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Seven children in ten experienced physical punishment, while a smaller
percentage (46%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 88% of children. One child in ten was
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 84% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
sex, age, household size, level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Investigations into care institutions and schools in Ghana revealed that corporal punishment of children
was widely used by caregivers and teachers. Types of corporal punishment included caning, kicking and
slapping. As a result of corporal punishment, some children had developed fear and dislike of their
caregivers, with many others playing truant to escape corporal punishment at school.
Reported in “Scarred With Whips: The agony of Osu Children’s Home inmates”, MyJoyOnline, 10 Sept 2010, www.
myjoyonline.com
A study on children’s perceptions of physical punishment using interviews, diaries and a questionnaire
found a high prevalence of physical punishment. Of the 158 children in private schools who completed a
questionnaire, 61.4% experienced some physical punishment at the hands of parents or primary
caregivers, with 30.4% experiencing only physical methods of punishment at home. Seven in ten (70.9%)
of survey respondents said school was the place in which they were most likely to be physically punished.
Caning was the most common method of physical punishment at home and at school.
Twum-Danso, A. (2010), Children’s Perceptions of Physical Punishment in Ghana, Nuffield Foundation
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, children with disabilities were more likely to
experience severe physical punishment: 15% of 2-9 year olds with disabilities were hit or slapped on the
face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the home in the past
month, compared with 8% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Greece
A study which involved 486 children in the first year of high school and their parents, carried out in 2007
-2008, found that 26.7% of the children had been hit with a hand by a family member; 71% of the parents
had physically punished their child. Nearly all (98.3%) of the parents said corporal punishment should not
or probably should not be used as a method of “discipline”.
Tsirigoti, A. et al (2010), Current Situation Concerning Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) in Greece, Athens: Institute of Child
Health, Department of Mental Health and Social Welfare & Centre for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Guatemala
In a 2008-2009 study involving 12,446 women aged 15-49 with children, 56.5% reported that children in
their home were physically punished (43.1% by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped, 13.4% by other
physical punishment). Women who had experienced partner violence were more likely to report that
children in their home were physically punished (56% of women who had experienced partner violence
compared to 38.8% of women who had not).
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Guinea-Bissau
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 82% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly three quarters experienced physical punishment, while a smaller
percentage (25%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 93% of children. Three children in ten
were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 68% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than others (85% of
5-9 year olds compared to 76% of 2-4 year olds and 83% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline (83% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 70% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children
with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the
study. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
sex, level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 more than half (52%) of
girls and women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain
circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Guyana
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2012, 86% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey (87% of boys and 85% of girls).
UNICEF (2014), The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers: Every Child Counts, NY: UNICEF
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 76% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly two thirds experienced physical punishment, while a smaller
percentage (27%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing;
non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 87% of children. One child in six was
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 67% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (80% compared to
75%). Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than others (79% of 5
-9 year olds compared to 78% of 2-4 year olds and 75% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline (82% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 74% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children
with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the
study. Children engaged in child labour experienced violent discipline more than those who were not
engaged in child labour (88% compared to 80%). No significant differences in children’s experience of
violent discipline were found according to the level of education of adults in the household.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Research carried out in 2008 by a group of individuals and organisations identified the views, needs and
fears of children, parents and teachers, based on focus groups, questionnaires, interviews, and reviews of
relevant research and political and non-political materials. It found, among other things, that while there
was high support for school corporal punishment among parents (92%) and only 8% felt it should be
abolished, almost one in four (23%) felt children would be better behaved in class if corporal punishment
was not used; 2% felt there would be no change in behaviour. Parents said they would support prohibition
if schools and teachers were properly resourced and trained in positive disciplinary methods. Few parents
indicated that their opinions would be changed by media campaigns or celebrity endorsements.
Smith, C. & Mbozi, J. (2008), Removing Corporal Punishment from Schools: Integrating Partner Efforts, Georgetown:
Business Unlimited Consulting Services, www.hands.org.gy/files/Corporal%20Punishment%20Report%20-%202008.pdf
In June 2007, Minister of Education Shaik Baksh announced that the Ministry had conducted a survey on
the use of corporal punishment in schools which found that 53% of schools use corporal punishment as a
means of maintaining discipline and 47% do not. Phase two of this survey would focus on finding out
what are the factors that lead to these schools not using corporal punishment, the performance of the
students, the level of violence in the schools and other factors.
Reported in Stabroek News, 8 June 2007
An assessment of standards in the 20 residential care institutions in Guyana found that 55% of them
allowed beating children as a punishment.
Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security (2006), Assessment of procedural and physical standards in children’s
residential care institutions in Guyana
In February 2005, government-commissioned research was published based on accounts of almost 4,000
children aged 3-17 years about their experiences of violence in the home, schools and wider community.
Corporal punishment was the fourth most commonly mentioned type of abuse (45%), after fighting,
killing/murder and beating/beating-up, and various types of corporal punishment were mentioned by just
under half the groups in every area (43-50%). Of those interviewed (aged 7-17), 87% had received
corporal punishment of some kind (licks, lashes, beating) at least once in the home and 81% had been
beaten or hit with a belt, cane, whip or other object; children as young as 3 reported being “disciplined”
by their parents with an object. There was no difference relating to gender, ethnicity or geographical area.
One third (33%) of children described physical punishments leading to injury (bleeding skin, broken
bones, blacking out). Corporal punishment was most commonly reported as being inflicted by mothers.
Over a quarter (27%) of children in the children’s homes visited reported being physically hurt by a
caregiver in the home, and a similar number reported being physically punished by staff at the New
Opportunity Corps training school.
Cabral, C. & Speek-Warnery, V. (2005), Voices of Children: Experiences with Violence, Georgetown: Ministry of Labour,
Human Services and Social Security/ Red Thread Women’s Development Programme/ UNICEF-Guyana
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 18% of girls and women
aged 15-49 thought a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
The second Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), carried out by the Bureau of Statistics and
UNICEF in 2006 found that of more than 5,000 households surveyed, 74% of children were subjected to
at least one form of psychological or physical punishment; 16% experienced severe punishment, 59%
minor physical punishment, 63% psychological punishment. Only 8% were not subjected to these forms
of punishment.
Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF (2008), Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006: Final Report, Georgetown, Guyana:
Bureau of Statistics & UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Haiti
Research by Amnesty International found that despite the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools,
it was commonly reported, including the use of whips, beatings with electric cables, and forcing children
to kneel in the sun.
Amnesty International (2008), Safe Schools: Every girl’s right
In UNICEF’s Voices of Children survey, 14% of children reported living in a family where there were
scenes of violence and aggression; 40% said they were hit or beaten when they behaved badly, the figure
even higher among rural children aged 9-13.
Reported in Government response to UN Study on Violence Against Children Questionnaire, 2005
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 85% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Nearly eight in ten (79%) experienced physical punishment and 64%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Fifty two per
cent were punished by being forced to kneel. A smaller percentage (30%) of mothers and caregivers
thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
29% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Findings from a national survey conducted in 2012 reveal 38.1% of girls and 36.4% of boys aged 13-17
experienced physical violence by an adult household member or authority figure in the community in the
12 months prior to the survey; 90.0% of girls and 85.7% of boys in the same age group perceived that
their most recent experience of physical violence by adult household members or authority figures was a
result of disciplinary action or intended as punishment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development, Comité de Coordination
(2014), Violence against Children in Haiti: Findings from a National Survey, 2012, Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Honduras
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
16% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
The Office of the Special Prosecutor for Children of the Public Prosecution Service conducted a study in
public and private schools in seven regions of Honduras in 2007. The study found that despite a ban on
corporal punishment in national law and in the by-laws of many of the schools surveyed, it is frequently
applied as a disciplinary measure and children perceive it as part of their normal school lives, especially
in public sector schools. Common punishments (especially in the public sector) included being hit with a
rod, ruler or hand, hair- and ear-pulling, having to stand facing a wall and having to clean toilets and other
specific areas of the school. There were also reports of children of a certain ethnic group being punished
by hitting them on the tips of their fingers with a ruler or stick. While many students expressed
satisfaction with their teachers, especially in the private sector, some said their teachers do not like them
because they yell and physically punish them.
Ministerio Público, Secretaría de Educación & UNICEF (2008), Estudio de Garantía de Derechos de la Niñez en el Sistema
Educativo Nacional
Hong Kong
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Hong Kong involved 72 children (36 boys, 36 girls) from urban areas and 51 adults. Methods used
included research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey, and discussions. Physical punishments
mentioned by children in Hong Kong included hitting. Of those who were hit, 86.7% were hit with an
implement (57.8% with sticks etc, 28.9% with a whip, lash or belt). Of those who mentioned body parts
where they were hit, 13% reported being hit on the face, 45% on the limbs, 27% on the back, and 1% on
the genitalia. In terms of the settings in which children were punished, in the home 71% of children
experienced physical punishment, 29% emotional punishment; in school 54% experienced physical
punishment, 46% emotional. In response to the statement “After I punish a child I feel unhappy”, 100%
of adults agreed.
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm: Save the Children Sweden
In 2006, the results of the first household survey on domestic violence were reported, commissioned by
Hong Kong Social Welfare Department. The survey was carried out by the University of Hong Kong and
involved interviews with 5,049 adults and 2,062 children aged 12-17. About 44% of the parents admitted
having inflicted corporal punishment and physical violence on their children. Of these, 32% said they had
used violence on their children at least once during the past 12 months.
Reported in “Hong Kong University Calls to Ban Corporal Punishment”, CRIENGLISH.com, 2 March 2006; “Group seeks to
outlaw corporal punishment”, The Standard, 2 March 2006
Research published by the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of
Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF in March 2008 found that more than one in five
children are hit by their parents (21% of nearly 6,000 primary and secondary school students reported
this) – but the lifetime prevalence was much higher, at 58%.
Chan, K. L. (2008), Study on Child-friendly Families: Immunity from Domestic Violence, Hong Kong:
Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF & Dept of Social Work and Social Administration, University of
Hong Kong
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A survey on the views of parents and children concerning prohibiting corporal punishment was carried
out Against Child Abuse Ltd in 2006-7; 366 parents and 356 secondary school children participated.
More than four in five parents (83.3%) admitted inflicting corporal punishment on their children. The
main negative impacts of corporal punishment were seen as “physical injury” (85.7% students, 59.8%
parents), “psychological harm” (81.5% students, 64.2% parents) and “affecting parent-child
relationships” (81.7% students, 70.5% parents). Three out of five students (74.2%) and nearly half the
parents (49.7%) support prohibition of corporal punishment.
Survey announced in 2007 Spank Out Day press conference, information provided in correspondence with the Global Initiative,
February 2009
A survey based on interviews with 1,562 students between 2014 and 2015 found 54% of children aged 6
-13 had suffered corporal punishment at the hands of their parents in the year preceding the survey; 10%
said they received physical punishments on a weekly basis, while 5% said they were punished daily. The
main reasons for physical punishment were poor grades or failing to submit homework on time (51%) and
lifestyle habits such as playing TV games too much or excessive spending of pocket money (47%).
Children also reported being subjected to mental abuse, with parents threatening to throw away their
favourite toys or other play things (22%), being subjected to boycotts or verbal abuse (12%) and being
locked up as a punishment (3%).
Against Child Abuse (2015), Local and New Arrival Parents' and Children’s Views Towards Corporal Punishment,
Psychological Harm, Neglect and Home Safety, Hong Kong: Against Child Abuse
Iceland
In a survey of 827 students aged 12-16, 71.4% thought “a child should never be corporally punished”;
14% “a child can be corporally punished using mild forms of punishment (e.g. smacking)”; 78%
disagreed that “parents have a right to use mild forms of corporal punishment on their children (e.g.
smacking)”, and 89% agreed that “children must be protected from all forms of violence”.
UNICEF (2011), Nordic Study on Child Rights to Participate 2009-2010, Innolink Research
India
In a 2014 survey of 6-14 year olds in Delhi, 49.3% said teachers in their schools used corporal
punishment. The survey was carried out carried out by the NGO Joint Operation for Social Help (JOSH).
Reported in The Hindu, 30 March 2014
According to child rights NGO AP Balala Hakkula Sangham, 583 cases of school corporal punishment
were reported in Greater Hyderabad in January 2014; more than 1,500 were reported in 2013.
Reported in The Indian Express, 27 January 2014
In a study on the wellbeing and vulnerability of child domestic workers, 68% of the child domestic
workers in India said their employers physically punished them. The study was conducted in 2009 in
Peru, Costa Rica, Togo, Tanzania, India and Philippines with around 3,000 children, mostly aged 10-17,
half of whom worked as paid or unpaid domestic workers.
Anti-Slavery International (2013), Home Truths: Wellbeing and vulnerabilities of child domestic workers, London: Anti-Slavery
International
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In a survey of 4,022 parents in 10 cities in India carried out by the Podar Institute of Education, 65% said
they had “spanked” their children. Mothers were more likely than fathers to hit their children, with 77%
of mothers having done so.
Reported in Times of India, 1 November 2012
A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In India, of the 1,547 men who participated, 45% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 39% threatened with physical punishment
in the home, and 32% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people; 64% reported
having been beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher. Men who had experienced violence,
including corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate intimate partner
violence, hold inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or robberies, pay for
sex and experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate in domestic duties,
communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is pregnant and/or take
paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
A study carried out in 2009-2010 by the National Commission for Protection of Children’s Rights found
that 99.9% of the children involved in the study had experienced physical or verbal punishment. Little
difference was found between the prevalence of corporal punishment in private, state Government and
central Government schools, or between girls’ and boys’ experiences of corporal punishment. More than
eight respondents in ten (81.2%) had experienced insults about their mental characteristics or the use of
derisive adjectives. Three-quarters of respondents had been beaten with a cane, 69.9% slapped on the
cheek, 57.5% hit on the back, and 57.4% had had their ears “boxed”. Other punishments included being
pinched, being hit on the knuckles, having their hair pulled, being forced to squat, being forbidden to use
the toilet and being given electric shocks. Of children aged 3-5, 65.4% had been beaten with a cane,
60.7% slapped on the cheek. Children were punished for academic reasons (e.g. not being able to do
schoolwork), for meeting their physical needs (e.g. eating), to maintain order at school (e.g. for being
late) and for no apparent reason. The study involved 6,632 children aged 3-17 in seven states who took
part in the study on the way to or from school.
National Commission for Protection of Children’s Rights (2012), Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools, New Delhi:
NCPCR
A study carried out by Childline India Foundation between 2009 and 2011 found that students
experienced corporal punishment in almost 95% of the 198 schools in 11 states studied, despite it being
prohibited. Only 6% of government schools studied and 4% of private schools studied were free of
corporal punishment.
Reported in India Today, 5 January 2012, www.indiatoday.in
A 2011 report on gender equality which involved 6,011 respondents aged 10-35 found that physical,
verbal and emotional violence, including in the name of “discipline”, was common in homes and schools,
and that mothers and fathers were the main perpetrators of violence.
Plan India (2011), Engaging Men and Boys towards Gender Equality: The State of the Girl Child in India 2011
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In February 2008 the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights published a report on the state
of penal institutions for children in conflict with the law, based on a detailed study of juvenile care centres
(“juvenile homes”) across the country. Physical punishment was found to be a dominant “disciplinary”
method in 70% of the centres.
Reported in BigNewsNetwork.com, 18 February 2008
In 2007, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, published the first nationwide study on child
abuse in India, based on the experiences of 12,447 children aged 5-18 from across 13 states and also
involving 2,324 young adults (aged 18-24) and 2,449 stakeholders (adults holding positions in
government departments, private service and urban and rural local bodies, and individuals from the
community). The study revealed a high prevalence of corporal punishment of children in all the settings –
their family homes, schools and institutions, and on the streets. Of the total number of children, 69%
reported physical abuse, including corporal punishment, in one or more situations, more commonly boys
(54.68%) and young children (48.3%). In the 5-12 age group, 72.2% reported physical abuse in one or
more situations, in the 13-14 year age group 70.6%, and among 15-18 year olds 62.1%. Of children
abused within the family, in the majority of cases the perpetrators were parents (reported by 88.6% of
respondents – 50.9% mothers, 37.6% fathers). The second most commonly reported perpetrators were
teachers (44.8%), followed by employers (12.4%), caregivers (9.5%), NGO workers (4.8%) and others.
The difference between boys and girls was marginal, but age was significant, with young children aged 5
-12 the most vulnerable and the risk declining for 13-14 year olds and again for 15-18 year olds. The most
commonly reported punishment was being slapped and kicked (63.7%), followed by being beaten with a
stave or stick (31.3%), and being pushed, shaken, etc (5.0%). For many (15.6%) the hurt resulted in
serious physical injury, swelling or bleeding. When stakeholders were asked for their views on
physical/corporal punishment, over 44.5% felt it was necessary in disciplining children; 25.5% disagreed
with its necessity; 30.0% expressed no opinion. When asked about the most suitable form of punishment,
35.2% said scolding or shouting, 11.3% slapping or beating with a stick; almost 11% felt locking a child
in a room or denying food was suitable punishment.
Kacker, L. et al (2007), Study on Child Abuse: India 2007, New Delhi: Ministry of Women and Child Development
As part of the Supporting Positive Alternatives in Raising Kindness in Education (SPARKE) project,
questionnaires with teachers, parents and 201 students aged 8-18 were carried out before and after a
project that aimed to promote the use of positive discipline in five schools in northern India. Before the
project, 78.9% of boys and 40.7% of girls aged 8-11, 74.1% of boys and 54.3% of girls aged 12-15 and
80% of boys and 65.2% of girls aged 16-18 had experienced corporal punishment in the past year. More
than eight teachers in ten (83.3%) had used corporal punishment, 43.5% “occasionally”, 33.3% a few
times a month and 6.5% at least once a week. Types of corporal punishment included forcing children to
stay in uncomfortable or painful positions or do physical exercise, twisting children’s ears, slapping,
pinching, caning and kicking children. Students also experienced verbal punishments, such as being
ridiculed or insulted. Before the project, 72.3% of teachers wanted to find alternatives to corporal
punishment and 87.7% thought teaching staff needed training in alternative disciplining methods. Nearly
seven in ten teachers (68.3%) and 44.9% of students said they would like to be part of a group in their
school working against corporal punishment. After the project, 33.3% of boys and 10.3% of girls aged 8
-11, 52.2% of boys and 34.7% of girls aged 12-15 and 48.2% of boys and 25.9% of girls aged 16-18 had
experienced corporal punishment in the past ten months. Before the project, between 39% and 69% of
students thought corporal punishment should be used in school. After the project, 13%-39% thought
corporal punishment should be used in school, with 52-80% thinking it should not be used, and 73-84%
saying they would like their teachers to use positive discipline methods instead of corporal punishment.
Cedar Woods Consulting Group for SOIR-IM (2007), Supporting Positive Alternatives in Raising Kindness in Education: The
SPARKE Research Report
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In research in urban schools in Andhra Pradesh in 2006, 59% of students said a teacher had hit them on
the palms of the hands with a cane; 71% had witnessed this kind of punishment in school. Other kinds of
corporal punishment included forcing children to kneel in uncomfortable positions, slapping or spanking
and beating on the knuckles. Forty-five per cent of students said they had witnessed corporal punishment
which caused swelling and 22% had seen it cause bleeding; 13% had witnessed corporal punishment
which necessitated a visit to a doctor. Only 25% of students who experienced corporal punishment at
school chose to tell their parents about it; 23% of those who did not tell their parents said this was
because their parents would beat them too. Children from lower income groups were more likely to
experience corporal punishment. The research involved nearly 600 children and over 300 adults,
including teachers and parents, through interviews and group discussions.
Devi Prasad, B. (2006), Spare the Rod and Save the Child: A Study of the Corporal punishment in urban schools of Andhra
Pradesh, Child Rights Advocacy Foundation-Vijayawada, www.endcorporalpunishment.org/children/countries/india/indiaresearch.html
A large scale research study conducted in May 2006 by Saath Charitable Trust and supported by Plan
International (India) looked at children’s experiences of corporal punishment in schools and in the home
in one district in each of four states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The research
involved 1,591 children mostly from 41 schools as well as members of various children’s organisations.
Parents, teachers (215), community members, government officials and other adults were also consulted.
The main methods used were interviews, focus group discussions, role-play and classroom observation.
The study found corporal punishment to be an accepted way of life in all the schools and communities
visited. The most common forms of punishments were hitting with hands and stick, pulling hair and ears,
and telling children to stand for long period in various positions. Threats of physical violence were also
common. Severe forms of corporal punishment were encountered, including being severely kicked,
starvation, tying with rope to chairs/poles followed by beatings, and being assigned physically strenuous
labour (e.g. in the fields). In all schools, there would be at least five beatings every day, in addition to
other more moderate forms of punishment, though the punishments were less severe than those
experienced in the home. Punishment in the home was inflicted by mothers and fathers on both girls and
boys with equal severity, more frequently for boys.
Saath Charitable Trust/Plan International, India (2006), Impact of Corporal Punishment on School Children: A Research Study
– Final Report
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children under 18, carried out between 1998 and
2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States. In
India, the rate of “moderate” physical discipline (including spanking a child’s buttocks, hitting a child
with an object, slapping a child’s face and putting hot pepper in a child’s mouth) ranged from 63% in
urban and rural communities in Vellore to 89% in a rural community in Bhopal. The rate of harsh
physical discipline (including burning, beating up, kicking and smothering a child) ranged from 2.7% in a
non-slum community in Delhi to 39% in a rural community in Bhopal. The rate of harsh psychological
discipline such as calling children names, cursing them and threatening to abandon them or kick them out
ranged from 40% in a non-slum community in Chennai to 81% in a rural community in Lucknow.
“Moderate” psychological discipline, including yelling or screaming at children, refusing to speak to them
or witholding food was experienced by between 76% of children (in a rural community in Vellore) and
96% of children (in an urban slum community in Nagpur). Non-violent discipline, including explaining
why a behaviour was wrong and telling a child to stop, was also widely used (89-99%). The study found
that rates of harsh physical discipline were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of
official physical abuse in any country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among
communities within the same country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
54% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A 2004 study by the NGO Aapanach found that, of 350 children surveyed from public, private, and
municipal schools, over 75% reported being punished at school, and nearly 60% said the most frequent
form of punishment was caning or hitting with a ruler. It was common for the whole class to be punished
(66%). A third (33%) reported cases of severe injury due to punishment.
Reported in cities.expressindia.com, 7 April 2007
A survey in 2004 of 1,500 adolescents in ten government schools of Chandigarh, carried out by the
Advanced Pediatric Center, PGI found that the prevalence rate of corporal punishment was 22%.
Reported in Chandigarh Newsline, 21 June 2007
In 2015, Human Unity Movement (HUM) surveyed 200 parents and 200 students of Lucknow city
schools, finding that despite a ban 55% of children age 12-17 say corporal punishment is practised in their
school on a daily basis. Of these, 55% said they are subjected to emotional punishment, 36% physical
punishment. As many as 79% said that corporal punishment had a serious effect on their ability to learn
and concentrate in class. Despite more than 63% of parents believing corporal punishment does not have
a positive impact on children, 58% do not consider it important to report regular corporal punishment to
the principal.
Reported in “When words scar more than the cane”, The Times of India, 6 May 2015
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Indonesia
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), in Papua Province 90% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent
“discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Nearly three quarters (74%) experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage
(33%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. More than a
quarter (26%) of children experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head
or ears or being hit over and over with an implement); 83% experienced psychological aggression (being
shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Badan Pusat Statistik (2013), The Selected Districts of Papua Province Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011, Final Report,
Jakarta: BPS
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), in West Papua Province 86% of children 2-14 year olds experienced violent
“discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Nearly two thirds (65%) experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage
(20%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Nearly a
quarter (23%) of children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or
hit over and over with an implement); 80% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at,
yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Badan Pusat Statistik (2013), The Selected Districts of West Papua Province Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011, Final
Report, Jakarta: BPS
A 2013 study on the rights of migrant children in Indonesia, which involved interviews with 102
migrants, found that child and adult migrants in detention frequently experienced beatings and other
physical violence, including being kicked, slapped, punched, burned with cigarettes and the use of
electroshock weapons.
Human Rights Watch (2013), Barely Surviving: Detention, Abuse, and Neglect of Migrant Children in Indonesia, NY: Human
Rights Watch
The first comprehensive research into the quality of care in childcare institutions in Indonesia, jointly
conducted by the Social Services Ministry, Save the Children and UNICEF, found that many children
face corporal punishment in childcare institutions. Someone that Matters: The Quality of Care in
Childcare Institutions in Indonesia is based on a survey of 36 childcare institutions in six provinces plus a
government owned orphanage. Most of the institutions are run privately by religious organisations. The
research found that physical and psychological punishment was widespread in these institutions, and was
often routine and accepted as a part of daily life by children and staff. Pinching children’s stomachs and
caning them were the most common forms of punishment. Shaving of heads and throwing dirty water on
children were also common for repeat “offenders”.
Martin, F. & Sudjarat, T. (2007), Someone That Matters: The Quality of Care in Childcare Institutions in Indonesia, Jakarta:
Save the Children, UNICEF and DEPSOS RI, www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/docs/someone-that-matters.pdf
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Indonesia involved 813 children from urban, rural and remote areas, and 16 adults. Methods included
research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey, and discussions. Physical punishments mentioned
by children in Indonesia included being hit with implements, kicked, slapped, having ears twisted, having
hair pulled, being pinched and objects being thrown. Of those who were hit, 32.4% were hit with an
implement, 23.6% slapped with the hand, 23.6% punched with the fist, and 20.4% kicked. Of those
children who mentioned body parts where they were hit, 73% reported being hit on the head and neck,
75% on the limbs, 10% on the back, 15% chest and 15% stomach.
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
25% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A survey of 1,682 Indonesian students aged 12–14 years, conducted between October 2013 and March
2014, found that 27.2% of boys and 9.4% of girls had experienced physical violence (been hit, beaten,
slapped or kicked) by school staff in the last 6 months. Of these, 17% of boys and 25% of girls said they
reported the incident to a teacher or principal (with 70% saying some action was taken), while 19% of
boys and 42% of girls reported it to their parents or guardians – indicating that girls place more trust on
their parents compared to teachers. Two-thirds of all students said their parents took some action on their
complaint.
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Plan International (2014), Are Schools Safe and Gender Equal
Spaces? Findings from a baseline study of school related gender-based violence in five countries in Asia, Plan International
Iran
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2012, 79% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey: 81% of boys and 77% of girls.
UNICEF (2014), The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers: Every Child Counts, NY: UNICEF
Iraq
According to statistics collected in 2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 79% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than six in ten
(63.1%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (22.2%) of mothers and caregivers
thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. More than a quarter (27.7%) of children
experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over
and over with an implement); 74.8% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at,
screamed at or insulted).
Central Statistics Organisation & Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office (2012), Iraq Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011,
Final Report, Baghdad: Central Statistics Organisation & Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A UNICEF analysis of statistics collected in 2005-2006 found that 85% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the month
prior to the survey. Nearly three quarters experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(23%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 95% of children. Three children in ten were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement); 82% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (87% compared to
83%). Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other
ages (88% of 5-9 year olds compared to 86% of 2-4 year olds and 83% of 10-14 year olds). Children
living in larger households were more likely to experience violent discipline (86% of children in
households of 6 or more people compared to 75% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics
also suggest that children with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most
countries involved in the study. Children engaged in child labour experienced violent discipline more than
those who were not engaged in child labour (90% compared to 86%). No significant differences in
children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to level of education of adults in the
household.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 30% of children with
disabilities were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an
implement, compared with 31% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A 2008 analysis of the situation of children’s rights in Iraq involved around 750 children and their
families in nine areas of the country, through questionnaires and focus groups. The study found a high
level of family violence, especially for girls. Corporal punishment in schools was common – e.g. 48% of
teachers in the South Region of the country said they had used physical violence to “discipline” children.
In the Central Region, 83% of children’s drawings showed negative images of life in school, at home and
in neighbourhoods, with many references to violence. Adults were asked to whom children could turn for
support if they were victims of violence. In the Central Region the police, political parties and CSOs were
mentioned. Tribal and religious leaders were mentioned in the Central and South Regions, but family
members and teachers were not mentioned in either region. In the North, around 30% of adults believed
children could approach their families for help if they experienced violence in school.
Save the Children UK (2008), Iraq: A Child Rights Situation Analysis
Ireland
In a 2013 study that involved a nationally representative sample of 1,008 adults including 655 parents,
62% of respondents believed it was illegal to slap a child in Ireland and 57% said they would support a
complete ban on slapping in Ireland. Forty-one per cent of all respondents and 62% of parents said they
had slapped a child to “discipline” them; 30% of all respondents and 45% of parents said they had done
so “rarely”, and 7% of all respondents and 11% of parents said they had done so “sometimes”. Nearly
three quarters (73%) of respondents thought slapping was not an effective way to discipline a child.
McCarthy, D. (2013), Attitudes to Child Discipline, Dublin: ISPCC
A study of 9,739 three year olds found that 45% of their primary caregivers “smacked” them sometimes.
Williams, J. et al (2013), Growing Up in Ireland: Development from Birth to Three Years – Infant Cohort, Department of
Children and Youth Affairs
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A 2012 survey of nearly 800 adults in Ireland found that 49% thought it was acceptable to slap a child
under some circumstances, and 49% said they had done so.
Reported in IrishCentral, 31 July 2012
A government-commissioned survey involving 1353 adults aged 21-69, all parents of children under 18,
found that only 34% believed “smacking” should remain legal, 42% believed it should become illegal;
24% thought “smacking” should be illegal for children of certain ages. More than two thirds (64.5%) of
parents agreed that “smacking is not necessary to bring up a well-behaved child”; 30% agreed that
“smacking is wrong and should never be used”; 43% agreed that smacking can damage the relationship
between parents and children. The majority (80%) reported feeling guilty or sorry after the last time they
had smacked their child; only 5.5% said they felt “better” after smacking. Three quarters of the parents
who took part in the survey indicated that they had not used any physical punishment in the past year.
Non-aggressive discipline strategies were used much more frequently than physically or psychologically
aggressive strategies. “Discussing the issue calmly” was the most frequently adopted strategy; 80% did
this often, and 99% had done it at some point during the past year. However, a quarter had used some
form of physical punishment in the past year: 15.8% reported that they had smacked their child on the
bottom at some point, with 7.4% having done so “often” or “occasionally”; 7.3% had shaken, grabbed or
pushed their child, 2.7% often or occasionally. Parents of younger children were significantly more likely
to report using physical punishment than parents of older children, with 37% of parents of 2-4 year olds
sometimes using physical punishment.
Halpenny, A. M. et al (2010), Parenting Styles and Discipline: Parents’ Perspectives on Parenting Styles and Disciplining
Children. Dublin: The Stationery Office/Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, available at omc.gov.
ie/documents/publications/Parents_Perspectives_on_parenting_styles.pdf
In a study involving 8,570 children aged 9 and their families and teachers, carried out in 2007-2008, 11%
of mothers said they “smacked” their children “now and again”, 32% “rarely” and 57% never; 38% of
girls and 39% of boys said they were “sometimes” smacked by their mother, and 31% of girls and 37% of
boys said they were sometimes smacked by their father. Four per cent of boys and 3% of boys said they
were “always” smacked by their mother and 6% of boys and 4% of girls always by their father.
Williams, J. et al (2009), Growing Up in Ireland: National Longitudinal Study of Children – The Lives of 9-Year-Olds, Dublin:
Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Department of Health and Children
In an online poll of 826 people, 67% of parents admitted smacking their children. Most said they do it
rarely, but 4% said they do so regularly. A third said they never smack their children. When asked how
they would advise their children to deal with violence from another child, one in five said they would tell
them to hit back.
Reported in Newstalk, 4 March 2010
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The report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, established in 2000 to investigate abuse of
children in industrial and reform schools between 1914 and 2000, was published in 2009. Industrial
schools were for children who were poor, neglected or orphaned; reform schools were for children guilty
of offences. The Commission also examined children’s homes (for children without parental care,
generally smaller than industrial schools), foster homes, hospitals, facilities attended by disabled children
and other forms of residential care. The Commission uncovered the routine use of severe and arbitrary
corporal punishment. Punishments reported by witnesses included being beaten with wooden sticks and
other implements, having their heads submerged underwater, being force fed, being lifted by the ears and
hair, isolation and being burned. They reported being punished for no reason, as well as for “offences”
such as running away, bed-wetting, not knowing lessons, having torn or worn clothes, talking, speech and
writing difficulties, being left-handed and disclosing sexual abuse. They described an environment of
pervasive fear of physical punishment.
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (2009), Commission Report, www.childabusecommission.com/rpt
Israel
A report based on the sworn testimony of 311 children held in Israeli military detention between January
2008 and January 2012 documented systematic ill-treatment of children during their arrest, transfer and
interrogation. Sixty-three per cent of the children were detained inside Israel. Ninety-five per cent had
their hands tied, often very painfully, and 90% were blindfolded. Three quarters experienced physical
violence such as being pushed, slapped or kicked, 57% experienced threats and 54% verbal violence. In
12% of cases children reported being held in solitary confinement for an average period of 11 days. The
report found that when all the evidence was considered, the pattern of systematic ill-treatment which
emerged amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and in some cases torture as
defined in the UN Convention against Torture.
DCI Palestine (2012), Bound, Blindfolded and Convicted: Children held in military detention
Italy
A study involving 1,000 parents with a child aged 3-16 and 250 11-16 year olds living in Italy found that
28% of parents of children aged 3-5, 21% of parents of children aged 6-10 and 26% of parents of children
aged 11-16 were opposed to “smacking” and never did it. Around half the parents said they only smacked
their children in exceptional circumstances, 18-27% a few times a month, and 3% of parents of 3-5 year
olds and 5% of parents of 6-16 year olds almost every day. The proportion of parents opposed to corporal
punishment had increased slightly compared to a similar survey in 2009. Fifty-seven per cent of parents
of 3-5 year olds, 48% of parents of 6-10 year olds, 53% of parents of 11-16 year olds, 51% of children
aged 11-13 and 48% of young people aged 14-16 felt that smacking was more violent than educational;
22-27% of all groups felt smacking was more educational than violent. Large majorities of parents and
young people said that after smacking, parents feel bitter, embarrassed or uncomfortable. Nearly half
(49%) of parents of 3-5 year olds, 41% of parents of 6-10 year olds and 42% of parents of 11-16 year olds
thought smacking could teach children to smack others or definitely made children aggressive. Of those
who recalled seeing a child being smacked in a public place, 47% of 11-13 year olds, 51% of 14-16 year
olds and 53-58% of parents had reactions which were opposed to smacking, while 17-20% of parents,
11% of 11-13 year olds and 6% of 14-16 year olds tended to justify the smacking. A large majority (81
-92%) of parents believed a public awareness-raising anti-smacking campaign would be effective.
Ipsos Public Affairs (2012), I metodi educative e il ricorso a punizioni fisiche
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A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Italy, 61% of girls and 66% of boys had experienced “mild”
corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the hand, arm,
or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), and 12% of girls and 23% of boys had experienced severe
corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears, or beating the child
repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Much smaller
percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for
girls, 5% of mothers and 2% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 4% of mothers and fathers
believed it was necessary.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
In a 2009 study, 63% of parents of children aged 3-5, 55% of parents of children aged 6-10 and 40% of
parents of children aged 11-16 said they had slapped their children. Over one third (34%) of 11-13 year
olds and 24% of 14-16 year olds said their parents had slapped them; 2% of 11-13 year olds and 1% of 14
-16 year olds said it happened almost every day. The study involved 1,000 telephone interviews with a
representative sample of the Italian population and online interviews with 600 parents and 500 11-16 year
olds. Parents and children were asked how children react when they are slapped, and why parents slap.
Around 20% of parents, 14% of 11-13 year olds and 26% of 14-16 year olds said children are angry, want
revenge on their parents and will deliberately repeat the behaviour which led the parent to smack them.
Around 30% of 11-16 year olds and 23% of parents of 11-16 year olds said children are offended and will
respect their parents less. Only 8-14% of parents and children thought parents slap because they believe it
is the best thing to do, while around half the parents and children said parents slap because of
exasperation or fear. Seventeen per cent of parents of 11-16 year olds and around 13% of 11-16 year olds
felt it was “essential” that all corporal punishment be prohibited by law in Italy, while a further 26% of
parents and 30-37% of young people said a law prohibiting corporal punishment would be useful. Two
thirds (67%) of parents of 11-16 year olds, 62% of parents of 6-10 year olds and 59% of parents of 3-5
year olds strongly agreed that it is not acceptable or legitimate to beat a child.
Save the Children Italia ONLUS & Ipsos (2009), Vissuto della punizione corporale e reazioni all'ipotesi di un'educazione senza
violenza (in Italian), images.savethechildren.it/f/download/Educazione-senza-violenza/Ri/Ricerca.pdf
Jamaica
According to statistics collected in 2010-2011 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS4), 84.5% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than
two thirds (68.4%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (27%) of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. More than one child in 20 (5.7%)
was severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement); 71.9% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted).
Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) & United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2013), Jamaica Multiple Indicator
Cluster Survey 2011: Final Report, Kingston: STATIN & UNICEF
In consultations involving 279 children aged 6-12, carried out by the Office of the Children’s Advocate in
2007, corporal punishment in homes and schools was one of three main concerns raised by children.
4 November 2013, CRC/C/JAM/3-4, Third and fourth periodic report of the State party to the Committee on the Rights of the
Child
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A UNICEF analysis in 2010 of data on violence in the home collected in 2005-2006 found that 89% of
children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological
aggression) in the month prior to the survey. Over three quarters experienced physical punishment, while
a smaller percentage (33%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing; non-violent discipline was also widely used, experienced by 89% of children. Nine per cent
of children were severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over
with an implement); 77% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at
or insulted). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages
(92% of 5-9 year olds compared to 90% of 2-4 year olds and 86% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in
households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent
discipline than those living with less educated adults. Children engaged in child labour experienced
violent discipline more than those who were not engaged in child labour (95% compared to 89%). No
significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex or
household size.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
In a 2010 government sponsored attitudinal survey of 1,000 adults, carried out by Market Research
Services Limited, the majority – regardless of socio-economic status – believed beating a child is
necessary in correcting bad behaviour; 30% supported ending the beating of children. More than half
(51.8%) did not agree that acts such as pinching, hitting the head, biting, kicking and thumping a child
constituted corporal punishment; 51% said they had physically punished a child. However, 80% of those
surveyed agreed that parents could use other forms of discipline that are just as effective.
Reported in The Gleaner, 17 February 2010, www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100217/lead/lead4.html
In a 2008-2009 study involving 6,435 women aged 15-49 with children, 53.3% reported that children in
their home were punished by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped. Women who had experienced partner
violence were more likely to report that children in their home were physically punished (64.5% of
women who had experienced partner violence compared to 52.1% of women who had not).
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006 6% of children with disabilities and 6% of
children without disabilities were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as
possible with an implement in the home in the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
In a study involving six focus groups with 60 children aged 7-12 and eight parent focus groups with 44
adults, all groups of children described experiencing harsh disciplinary measures, including beatings with
objects such as belts, rulers, garden hose and boards. Many of the children said they felt angry and hurt by
physical punishments, and recommended discussion and withdrawal of privileges as alternatives. Some
children said that when they became parents they would use more democratic or flexible discipline, while
others said they wanted to hurt their own children as much as they had been hurt. Almost all parents
defended the use of corporal punishment (“beating”) as a justified method of disciplining children.
Brown, J. & Johnson, S. (2008), “Childrearing and child participation in Jamaican families”, International Journal of Early
Years Education, 16 (1), 31–40
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According to a study reported in The Gleaner in 2007, in a survey of teachers from all types of primary
educational settings, one in four admitted to flogging students often and one in three to pinching and
thumping them. Boys were more likely to be flogged. Less than a quarter of teachers believed beating was
effective, and almost half identified negative effects they had seen, including students becoming
oppositional, aggressive, destructive towards school property, gathering peer support against teachers, and
becoming “disconnected” from school activities.
Reported in Jamaica Gleaner Online, 21 March 2007
In a survey conducted in 2006 for The Gleaner, 60% of respondents were in favour of spanking and
caning in schools, with 28% feeling strongly that teachers should be given the right to physically punish
students; 37% opposed corporal punishment, including 13% strongly against it.
Reported in “Jamaica Gleaner-Bill Johnson Poll – Majority support caning in schools”, Jamaica Gleaner Online, 19 August
2006
Two hundred and three parents (71.3% mothers, 6.4% fathers, and other caregivers) from across six
parishes, of 100 boys and 103 girls aged 5-7, completed questionnaires administered by trained
interviewers, followed by an investigation into the frequency of use of specific disciplinary methods. Of
the 193 parents who responded to questionnaires about the disciplinary methods they used in their homes,
28% reported that non-violent methods were most commonly used; 25.4% reported psychological
aggression and 46.6% physical assault. Of those reporting physical assault, 1% reported pinching, 31.1%
spanking, 13% beating with an object, 1% shaking, and 0.5% tying of hands. In the week prior to the
interview, 1% reported spanking more than 7 times, 3.1% 4-6 times, and 27.4% 1-3 times. Beating with a
strap was reported as occurring 1-3 times over the same period by 14.6% of respondents.
Samms-Vaughan, M. et al (2005), “Disciplinary Practices among parents of six-year-olds in Jamaica”, Journal of the Children’s
Issues Coalition, 1, 58-70
Focus group research with parents, children aged 5-8 years and practitioners in 2007 found that young
children were still receiving corporal punishment despite the prohibition in the Early Childhood Act
passed in 2005.
Reported in The Jamaica Observer, 6 June 2007
Japan
A Government survey of public, national and private schools found that in the 2012-2013 academic year,
6,721 teachers at 4,152 schools nationwide inflicted corporal punishment on 14,208 students. Eighty per
cent of the teachers were in public schools; only 3% were disciplined for their use of corporal
punishment. In elementary schools, 60% of corporal punishment cases took place during class. In junior
high and high schools, just over 20% of cases took place in class, and 40% took place during club
activities. In 60% of cases, teachers hit students with their hands, in 10% teachers kicked students. Other
forms of corporal punishment included punching students and hitting them with a stick or other object. In
20% of cases, children were physically injured, including fractures, sprains and eardrum damage.
Reported in The Japan Times, 10 August 2013
In a survey of 510 college athletes (427 male and 83 female), 62% said violent punishment is acceptable
in school athletics programmes. One third (33%) said they had been physically punished at school.
Students who had been physically punished were more likely to think violent punishment was acceptable
(73% of those who had been physically punished compared to 57% of those who had not) and to say they
would use violence if they became a teacher or athletics coach.
Reported in The Asahi Shimbun, 13 May 2013
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According to Japan’s report to the UN Human Rights Committee in 2012, the number of cases of corporal
punishment in schools handled by human rights organisations was 211 in 2006, 263 in 2007, 198 in 2008,
268 in 2009 and 337 in 2010.
9 October 2012, CCPR/C/JPN/6, Sixth state party report to the Human Rights Committee, para. 312
In a survey of parents conducted by a national newspaper in August 2010, 58% of respondents regarded
physical punishment as a necessary tool in childrearing.
Reported in Campaign for Ending Violence against Children (2012), Briefing for the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic
Review 14th session
In a survey of 1,592 first- and second-year university students, 1.4% reported being slapped, kicked,
punched or having something thrown at them by a teacher “often” or “very often” when they were at
school.
Masuda, A. et al (2007), “Intra- and extra-familial adverse childhood experiences and a history of childhood psychosomatic
disorders among Japanese university students”, BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 1 (9), 1-7, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific
Regional Office (2012), Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research,
Bangkok: UNICEF
Jordan
A BBC Arabic investigation uncovered violence, including beatings, insults and swearing, against
children with mental and physical disabilities in private children’s homes in Jordan. The homes house
children of wealthy parents from across the Middle East. The investigation did not examine the extent to
which the violence was inflicted in a disciplinary context.
Reported in The Guardian, 16 May 2012
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Jordan 66% of girls and 80% of boys had experienced
“mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the
hand, arm, or leg; shaking, or hitting with an object); 21% of girls and 31% of boys had experienced
severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears, or beating the child
repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller percentages of
parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child (for girls, 8% of
mothers and fathers believed it was necessary, for boys 7% of mothers and 10% of fathers).
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A 2007 study into violence against children in Jordan found that in schools children are subjected to
“mild, moderate and severe” violence. “Severe violence” – defined by the study to include hitting a child
with an object such as a rod, rope or cane and biting and burning the child – was the most common kind
of violence, suffered by 57% of the 3,130 children who took part in the study. 50% of the children
suffered “mild” violence from teachers and other staff at school – “mild” violence was defined to include
slapping, pinching, pulling hair, pushing or shoving and twisting arms or legs. The study noted that
violence against children in the home often took place in the context of “discipline”: 53% of children had
experienced “mild” violence from their parents, 34% severe violence.
Elayyan, K. (2007), Violence against children in Jordan study: Summary, UNICEF, www.unicef.
org/jordan/VAC_Study_English_FOR_SCREEN%282%29.pdf
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According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 90% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Two thirds (67%) experienced physical punishment and 88% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage
(23%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
UNICEF, of girls and women aged 15-49, 90% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his
wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Kazakhstan
An assessment of violence against children in schools, which used data from more than 4,000 9-17 year
olds and 917 teachers and other staff at 40 state-run schools, found that 12.9% of students had been
physically punished by a teacher in the past year and 15% of teachers reported using corporal punishment
in the past year, despite it being considered unlawful in schools. Punishments included being hit with
objects, slapped or spanked, forced to stay in uncomfortable positions and prevented from using the toilet.
Nearly a quarter of teachers (22.9%) said they supported the use of corporal punishment, with 15.2%
agreeing that “A good teacher knows how to use physical punishment to discipline children” and 10.9%
thinking that their school director “prefers teachers that know how to use physical punishment to
discipline children”. Only 35.6% thought there was “an official regulation/policy that regulates how and
when teachers and specialized staff can discipline children”. The study recommends that the government
ensure “legislation exists that prohibits all forms of violence and discrimination against children in
schools, including corporal punishment and others forms of cruel and degrading punishment”.
Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2013), Assessment of violence against children in
schools in Kazakhstan, Astana: Commissioner for human rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan & UNICEF Office in Kazakhstan
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 49.4% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Nearly three children in
ten (29.1%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (6.5%) of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Two per cent of children
experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over
and over with an implement), 43.3% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted).
Agency of Statistics & UNICEF (2012) Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2010-2011,
Final Report, Astana: Agency of Statistics & Republican State Enterprise Information Computing Center
In 2009, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture visited Kazakhstan and concluded that beatings of
juveniles were common in police custody and in prisons and that corporal punishment was common in a
“centre for temporary isolation, adaptation and rehabilitation of juveniles,” which housed children
temporarily in need of protection.
O’Donnell, D. (2012), Juvenile Justice In Central Asia Reform Achievements And Challenges In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan And Uzbekistan, UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of
Independent States
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A study in 30 state-run residential institutions found that violent punishment of children in institutions
was common: 41.1% of children in “institutions of education for children with deviant behaviour”, 35.1%
of children in orphanages and 26.8% of children in shelters reported witnessing violence against children
by staff. In orphanages, 29.3% of children had witnessed staff use physical violence (including pinching
children, twisting their ears, shaking them, slapping them, hitting them with objects and burning them),
19.2% had witnessed staff use verbal violence (including swearing at and insulting children) and 16.4%
had witnessed staff use psychological violence (including preventing children from using the toilet,
locking children in a room or small place for a long time and tying children up). In institutions for
children with disabilities, more than half the staff reported witnessing staff using violent physical,
psychological or verbal punishment. Thirty per cent of staff in “institutions for children with psychoneurological and severe disabilities” and 18.4% of staff in “special correctional institutions of education”
reported witnessing physical violence by staff. In “institutions for children with psycho-neurological and
severe disabilities” 53.8% of staff supported the use of corporal punishment. More than 20% thought it
was sometimes necessary to shout at children or call them names to get their attention, 14.5% thought
children preferred staff who used strict “discipline” and 10.7% thought corporal punishment does not
really hurt children. In infant homes, 21.8% of staff reported witnessing staff use violent punishment:
18.3% physical violence, 9.9% verbal violence and 9.9% psychological violence. More than a quarter of
staff in infant homes supported the use of corporal punishment. The study involved surveys with nearly
1,000 children aged 9-18, 284 staff in infant homes and 349 staff in institutions for children with
disabilities. The report recommended prohibiting corporal punishment in residential institutions and other
care settings.
Haarr, R. N. (2011), Violence Against Children in State-Run Residential Institutions in Kazakhstan: An Assessment, UNICEF,
National Human Rights Centre (Ombudsman) and Sange Research Centre
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data on discipline in the home in 2005-2006 found that 54% of children aged
2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the
month prior to the survey. A quarter experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage
(7%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 77% of children. One per cent of children experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), half experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (56% compared to
51%). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than others (57% of 5-9 year
olds compared to 47% of 2-4 year olds and 55% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in households with
adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent discipline than those
living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline
were found according to household size or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 10% of girls and women aged 15-49
think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Nearly half of children in detention who took part in the survey said they had been subject to disciplinary
measures or punishment: a quarter said they had experienced physical punishment such as beatings, and
9% (5 boys in total) had experienced solitary confinement as a punishment. Three quarters of children in
state-run residential institutions who took part in the survey said they had been subject to disciplinary
measures or punishment, with a third saying they had experienced physical punishment such as beatings.
One member of staff from state-run residential institutions said that physical punishment was used, and
two (5% of all staff surveyed) said they supported the use of corporal punishment.
Penal Reform International (2015), Voice of the Child: Findings from a survey of children detained in closed institutions in
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, London: Penal Reform International
Kenya
A study involving more than 1,000 girls in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique analysed the impact of
ActionAid’s 2008-2013 project “Stop Violence Against Girls in School”. The project included awareness
raising and lobbying for the adoption and implementation of legal and policy measures that ensure
education is free from corporal punishment in the three countries. The study found that in 2013 the use of
some forms of corporal punishment had reduced since the baseline survey carried out in 2009. In Kenya
in 2013, 55% of girls had been beaten in the past year compared to 80% in 2009, although the proportion
of girls who had been whipped in the past year increased from 50% in 2009 to 70% in 2013. Girls’ most
recent experiences of corporal punishment usually took place in school. The study recommends measures
to implement the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools.
ActionAid International (2013), Stop Violence Against Girls in School: A cross-country analysis of change in Ghana, Kenya
and Mozambique, Johannesburg: ActionAid
In a national survey carried out in 2010, nearly half of the 13-17 year olds involved (48.7% of girls and
47.6% of boys) reported having been slapped, pushed, punched, kicked, whipped, beaten or threatened or
attacked with a weapon in the past year. Two thirds (66%) of females and 73% of males aged 18-24
reported experiencing this before they were 18. Perpetrators included authority figures, parents and adult
relatives. The survey involved 1,306 females and 1,622 males aged 13-24.
UNICEF Kenya Country Office et al (2012), Violence against Children in Kenya: Findings from a 2010 National Survey,
Nairobi: UNICEF Kenya Country Office, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
Seventy-one per cent of Kenyans think governments should completely outlaw all violence in schools.
However, over half of adult Kenyans believe their religion allows them to slap their children if they do
not behave.
Global Advocacy Team (2012), Plan’s Learn Without Fear campaign: Third progress report, Woking, UK: Plan
According to statistics collected under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 77.7% of children aged 2-14 in Mombasa informal settlements experienced violent
“discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey, carried out in 2009. Over two thirds (67.9%) experienced “minor” physical punishment, 19.1%
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement) and 51% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Forty per cent of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (2010), Mombasa Informal Settlement Survey, Kenya, 2009, Nairobi: Kenya National
Bureau of Statistics
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A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Kenya 82% of girls and 97% of boys involved in the study
had experienced “mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or
slapping on the hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), and 61% of girls and 62% of boys
had experienced severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears;
beating the child repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller
percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child (for
girls, 44% of mothers and 48% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 56% of mothers and 54% of
fathers).
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
In a survey of 500 young women in Kenya aged 18-24 concerning their childhood experiences of
violence, undertaken by the Africa Child Policy Forum and published in 2006, 99% reported experiencing
physical violence. Beating with an object was the most prevalent form of physical violence (80.8%),
though the research does not investigate the degree to which this and other physical violence was
explicitly in the guise of “discipline”. Prevalence figures for other forms of physical violence were 59.5%
for punching, 39.6% kicking, 43.8% hard work, 20.5% being choked/burned/stabbed, 12.3% having
spicy/bitter substances put in mouth, 14.3% being locked or tied up, and 35% being denied food. Girls
were found to be most vulnerable when aged 10-13. Experiencing the violence more than ten times was
more likely in the case of beating than other types of physical violence. Most beating with an object was
carried out by mothers (23.5%), followed by female teachers (15.3%) and fathers (13.3%). Most
hitting/punching was carried out by female teachers (16.1%), followed by mothers (14.2%) and male
teachers (11.3%), with medical attention necessary in 20% of cases. In 52.3% of cases, the
hitting/punching resulted in “bruises or scratches, broken bones or teeth, or bleeding”; the figure for
beating with an object was 64.6%.
Stavropoulos, J. (2006), Violence Against Girls in Africa: A Retrospective Survey in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, Addis Ababa,
The African Child Policy Forum
A survey of 267 adults and children and interviews with parents, teachers and children, reported in 2005,
found that the most frequent forms of physical “discipline” inflicted on children were smacking (78.8%),
pulling ears (68.8%) and cuffing (61.5%). Other corporal punishments included forcing a child to kneel
on a hard floor (45.9%), tapping (43.3%), forcing a child to stand in the sun (33.2%) and burning fingers
(19.7%). Almost two thirds of children (62.2%) said they wanted corporal punishment to be stopped; 54%
of parents said it should not be stopped.
ANPPCAN Kenya Chapter (2005), From Physical Punishment to Positive Discipline: Alternatives to Physical/Corporal
Punishment in Kenya, second draft
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
68% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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A study of parents’ perceptions on the use of corporal punishment in pre-primary institutions in Kenya
found that 78% of parents agreed that teachers should use corporal punishment to modify deviant
behaviour; 78% agreed that reasonable punishment is beneficial to preschool learners; 70% disagreed that
corporal punishment should be abandoned and 76% disagreed that corporal punishment degrades the
parents. The majority of parents (87%) indicated that they never viewed corporal punishment as child
abuse, while 63% of parents agreed that teachers should be allowed to use corporal punishment with
discretion.
Kimengi, I. N. & Mwai, B. K. (2014), “Perceptions of parents on the use of corporal punishment in pre-primary institutions in
Kenya”, International Journal of Education and Research, 2(10), 663-680
Kiribati
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 81% of children aged 2-14 experienced
“violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey, carried out in 2005-2006.
UNICEF (2011), The State of the World’s Children, Table 9: Child Protection, www.unicef.org/sowc, NY: UNICEF
In a study which involved questionnaires, group activities and interviews with adults and children
throughout Kiribati, 81% of the 199 adults questioned said they sometimes hit, smacked, pinched, kicked,
flicked or pulled or twisted the ears of children in their household. Nearly three in ten (29%) of the 198
children questioned said they had experienced this in the past month. Children were hit with hands and
objects including brooms, wooden spoons and belts. Forty per cent of interviewees working in education
said corporal punishment was used in their school; 29% of children said they had experienced school
corporal punishment in the past month. When asked “if a child has committed a crime, how does the
village/community handle the situation?” 5% of people working in the justice sector and community
chiefs said physical punishment was used. The report of the study notes that corporal punishment is
lawful in the home and elsewhere and that maneabas (community councils administering a traditional
justice system) can punish children who have been accused of offences by beating them or excluding
them from the community.
UNICEF & AusAid (2009), Protect me with love and care: A Baseline Report for creating a future free from violence, abuse
and exploitation of girls and boys in Kiribati, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
A 2005 report stated that punishment of children by their parents included severe beatings and that it was
commonly accepted that men can, or even should, physically punish their wives and children.
Government of Kiribati & UNICEF (2005), Kiribati: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women & Youth, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Office
Kyrgyzstan
During its 2012 visit to Kyrgyzstan, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment documented the widespread use of “punishment cells” in
which children were held in solitary confinement, usually for 2-3 days but sometimes for longer, in a
prison colony for juvenile offenders. The report of the visit recommends that the punishment cells be
immediately closed.
Advance copy, CAT/OP/KGZ/R.1, Report on first periodic visit
An NGO report to the UN Committee Against Torture documented corporal punishment in a “special
boarding school”. Children were beaten, kicked, and forced to beat each other.
Votslava, J. et al (2013), Shadow report of NGOs on compliance of obligations in respect of children under the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek: Youth Human
Rights Group
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A 2013 shadow report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child by a group of NGOs documented
that torture (including being beating, forced to do physical exercise, suffocated and deprived of sleep) was
inflicted on children in detention centres, special schools and residential institutions, including as a
punishment.
Utesheva, N. et al (2013), Shadow report of NGOs on compliance of obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child by the Kyrgyz Republic, Association of NGOs for the protection and promotion of child rights, Centre for Child
Protection, SOS Children’s Villages Kyrgyzstan, Independent Human Rights Group, Legal Clinic “Adilet”, Youth Human
Rights Group, Children of Tien Shan, Blagodat, Association of Parents of Disabled Children, Haliluya, Voice of Freedom &
Master radosti
A 2012 study of juvenile justice settings documented the use of corporal punishment in a “Centre for
Adaptation and Rehabilitation of Juveniles” and a “special school”.
Utesheva N. A. & Korzhova O. A. (2013), Protecting children from torture and cruel treatment in the context of juvenile
justice: research report 2012, Bishkek: UNICEF
An NGO documented evidence of injuries caused by strenuous physical exercise used as punishment in a
special school for boys aged 11-14.
O’Donnell, D. (2012), Juvenile Justice In Central Asia Reform Achievements And Challenges In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan And Uzbekistan, UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of
Independent States
Research by NGOs in care institutions found that corporal punishment was common. Punishments
included punching children, beating them with a stick, forcing them to clean for long periods, forcing
them to stand on one leg with their arms raised, making them spend nights in rooms occupied by older
children, depriving them of food and placing them in psychiatric hospitals. Care workers, directors and
other staff members punished children. Children said they were often punished for not agreeing with a
care worker’s opinion or actions.
Third/fourth report of Kyrgyzstan to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2010), CRC/C/KGZ/3-4
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data on discipline in the home in 2005-2006 found that 54% of children aged
2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the
month prior to the survey. More than a third experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(7%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 89% of children. Three per cent of children experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), 43% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys
were more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (59% compared to 49%). No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to age, household size,
level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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In a large-scale national study which involved over 2,000 children, 24% said they had been hit, kicked,
beaten or physically hurt in another way by an adult in their family; 16% had experienced this in the past
month.; 11% had been hit or attacked with a weapon or other object by a family member. Of the quarter
of children who had been physically hurt by an adult in their family, 31% could still feel the pain next day
or had a bruise, cut that bled or other injury such as a broken bone; 12% of these children had required
medical attention. Forty-four per cent of children said adults in their family had called them names or said
things that hurt their feelings; 33% had experienced this in the past month. Fifteen per cent of children
had been threatened with violence with a weapon, 10% in the past month. Surveys with 155 parents also
revealed very high rates of use of physical and verbal punishment. Positive discipline was widely used
(93% of parents had used positive discipline methods such as explaining why a behaviour was wrong or
taking away a child’s privileges, 87% in the past month), but the majority of parents who used positive
discipline also used physical, verbal and psychological violence as a punishment. Sixty-eight per cent of
parents had used some kind of corporal punishment, 57% in the past month: 58% had slapped their child
on the back, buttocks, leg or arm; 41% had shaken their child; 32% had hit their child with a hard object
(including belts, hairbrushes and sticks); 25% had slapped their child on the face or head; 11% had hit
their child over and over as hard as they could; 4.5% had thrown their child or knocked them down.
Forty-seven per cent of parents had sworn at or cursed their child or called them names, 41% in the past
month; 34% had threatened to hit, beat or kick their child, 27% in the past month. The study recommends
prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings, including the home.
Haarr, R. et al (2009), Child Abuse and Neglect in Families in the Kyrgyz Republic: a National Population-Based Study,
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 38% of girls and women
aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF)
Amongst a small sample of eight children in detention centres, half had been subject to disciplinary
measures which included physical punishment. Seventy-one per cent of children in state-run residential
institutions had been subject to disciplinary measures or punishment; a third said they had received
physical punishments such as beatings. When asked to explain further, children recalled being made to
clean rooms and wash windows, being made to stand in the corner on one foot, and two children from a
psychiatric institution said they were given injections when they misbehaved. All 14 members of staff
that were interviewed said they did not support the use of corporal punishment.
Penal Reform International (2015), Voice of the Child: Findings from a survey of children detained in closed institutions in
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, London: Penal Reform International
A survey carried out in 2014 by the National Statistical Committee as part of the global MICS programme
found 57% of children age 1-14 years had experienced violent “discipline” (psychological aggression or
physical punishment) during the month preceding the survey; 38% had experienced physical punishment
and 3% severe physical punishment. Thirty-eight per cent of children reported that they had experienced
only non-violent forms of discipline.
National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic & UNICEF (2014), Kyrgyzstan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014,
Key Findings, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic & UNICEF
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Lao PDR
A 2011 Human Rights Watch report documented beatings and other inhuman and degrading punishment
in Somsanga Center, where drug users, homeless people, street children and people with mental
disabilities were detained. The report was based on interviews with 12 former detainees, four of whom
were children at the time of their detention, and eight current or former staff members of international
organisations.
Human Rights Watch (2011), Somsanga’s Secrets: Arbitrary Detention, Physical Abuse, and Suicide inside a Lao Drug
Detention Center
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data on discipline in the home in 2005-2006 found that 74% of children aged
2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home
in the month prior to the survey. Nearly half experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(17%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 79% of children. Eight per cent of children experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), 64% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys
were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (75% compared to 72%). Children
aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than others (78% of 5-9 year olds compared to
74% of 2-4 year olds and 69% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger households were more likely
to experience violent discipline (75% of children in households of 6 or more people compared to 63% of
children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children with more siblings are
more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the study. No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to level of education of
adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011-2012, 76% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent
“discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Forty-four per cent experienced physical punishment and 71% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (42%) of mothers
and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 81% of girls and women
aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Latvia
A study involving 500 people aged 15 and over found that 51% thought corporal punishment should
never be used – an increase from 39% in a similar survey in 2005. Thirty-nine per cent of parents said
they had “smacked” their child (compared to 44% in a similar survey in 2010), 19% beaten or hit them
(27% in 2010), 19% beaten them with a belt (27% in 2010) and 9% slapped their child on the face (15%
in 2010).
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
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A study involving interviews with 1,223 18-25 year olds in Latvia found that 16.4% (17.9% of females
and 14.9% of males) were sometimes, often or very often pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped or had
something thrown at them and/or were hit so hard that they were marked or injured by an adult living
with them during their childhood.
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2012), Adverse Childhood Experiences of Young Adults in Latvia: Study Report
from the 2011 Survey, Riga: Ministry of Health, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control & Nordic Council of Ministers’
Office in Latvia
A 2009 survey of 1,010 respondents found that 38.9% believed corporal punishment should never be
used; 48.8% believed it “should not be used in general, but there are situations when it is justified” and
8.5% that it “may be used if the parent considers that it will be effective”. In an identical survey with a
similar sample in 2005, 12.1% said corporal punishment “may be used”. Nearly half (47%) the
respondents to the 2009 survey believed that over 40% of children in Latvia experience corporal
punishment. Results were similar in 2005.
Marketing and public opinion research centre SKDS (2009), Attitude towards corporal punishment of children: survey of
Latvia’s population, www.canee.net/files/Omnibus%20research%20Latvia%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse
project, which includes studies carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005
and 2009.
A 2009 survey of 214 teachers in primary schools in Riga found that 54% believed corporal punishment
is humiliating for the child and 44% believed it meant that “the parents are not good at rearing children”;
22% felt the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party.
Nobody’s Children Foundation and Center Against Abuse “Dardedze” (2009), Riga teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse:
Research report, www.canee.net/files/Teachers%20studies%20Latvia%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse
project, which includes studies carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005
and 2009.
Lebanon
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2011, 82% of boys and 82% of girls aged 2
-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home
in the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2013), The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities, NY: UNICEF
A needs assessment carried out in Palestinian camps and gatherings (unofficial settlements) around Tyre,
South Lebanon, between November 2008 and March 2009 found that physical violence by teachers was
commonly cited as a reason why students drop out of school. Children also highlighted parental violence
against them in the home as a problem. The assessments involved 36 interviews and meetings with
community leaders, staff from international and local NGOs and UN representatives and seven focus
group discussions with parents and children in the camps. The three camps and 11 gatherings involved in
the assessment have a total population of around 70,405, 34% of whom are estimated to be children.
Terre des hommes Foundation (2009), A Child Protection Assessment in Palestinian Camps and Gatherings, Tyre, South
Lebanon, Lausanne: Terre des homes
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A 2009 report on the situation of Palestinian refugees living in refugee camps and informal gatherings in
Southern Lebanon revealed widespread use of corporal punishment at home and in schools. 764 people
(children aged 7 years and older and adults of all ages) took part in the research through group discussion.
Many 7-13 year olds who took part spoke of school as an unsafe place and said they didn’t like to go
because of violence and unkind treatment by teachers. Children stated that a recent policy change
forbidding school corporal punishment was not applied properly. Many children were opposed to physical
and verbal violence in schools. In all areas, violence in the home was seen primarily as a means of
releasing stress and frustration caused by difficult living conditions. Those who admitted using violence
in the home also acknowledged this was not a good way of dealing with problems. Violence against
children, perpetuated mostly by parents, ranged from slaps in the face to violent use of implements.
Abu Sharar, S. (2009), Community Perspectives on Protection: A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Analysis of Palestinian
Communities in Southern Lebanon, Danish Refugee Council and European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department,
lebanon-support.org/Uploads/2009-10/News1852.pdf
A child rights situation analysis by Save the Children noted the use of corporal punishment in private,
public and UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) schools, and cited research estimating that 40% of
school students experience physical violence at the hands of educators.
Save the Children Sweden (2008), Child Rights Situation Analysis for Lebanon, citing research by the University Center for
Family and Community Health
A survey of over 1,000 youth on sexual and physical violence found that over a one year period, 54.1% of
children experienced at least one of the following forms of physical violence: being pushed or kicked
(31.5%), hit by the hand (43.0%), hit by an instrument (18.1%), attempted strangulation (3.1%), burned
(2.9%), imprisoned or tied up (6.4%), bitten (25.3%), and threatened with a weapon (1.9%). The father
was the most frequent perpetrator, except for biting (mother) and hitting (sibling). Psychological violence
was reported by 64.9%, most frequently by the father.
Usta, J. A. et al (2008), Child Sexual Abuse: The situation in Lebanon, KAFA/The Higher Council for Children/The Ministry of
Social Affairs/Save the Children Sweden
In an UNRWA school in Ein el-Hillweh refugee camp, 91.8% of 126 children surveyed said they had
been exposed to violence in school, with interviewees claiming that corporal punishment was used in
UNRWA schools despite UNRWA stating that it should not be used.
Naba’a (2007), Violence against Palestinian Children in Lebanon – Ein Elhelweh Camp, cited in Manara Network for Child
Rights (2011), Violence Against Children in Schools: A Regional Analysis of Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen, Beirut: Save the
Children Sweden
The 2005 school-based health survey found that 37% of students were physically attacked by an adult
family member during the previous 30 days, more commonly for younger (grade 7) students (40.4%) than
older (grade 9) students (32.6%). One in four students (24.7%) reported being physically assaulted by a
teacher or school staff in the same period.
WHO, Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (2007), Lebanon 2005: Global School-based Student Health Survey
Research carried out with children aged 9-14 about their experiences of corporal punishment in UN Relief
Works Agency schools found that punishments included hitting with hands and sticks, being sworn at and
being “pressed down on”. Children reported feeling humiliated, sad, insulted and worried when they were
hit and said they would prefer adults talk to them about what they have done wrong.
International Save the Children Alliance (2005), Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment of Children - Making it Happen:
Global Submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Save the Children Sweden
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In a study involving 1,177 10-18 year olds, only 23.7% had never experienced being slapped in the face
or head, having their ears twisted, having their hair pulled, being hit with a rule, being kicked, being
forced to stand or kneel in a painful position, being forced to stay outside in the cold or heat or being tied
up with a rope or belt as punishment at school. More than one in twenty (6.9%) experienced this “often”.
Only 18.6% had never been insulted, embarrassed, humiliated, called names, made to feel stupid or
threatened with bad marks they did not deserve at school; 19.9% experienced this often.
Adib, S. M. [n.d.] Experience of Violence Among Schoolchildren in Lebanon, Department of Public Health, Faculty of
Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, www.docstoc.com/docs/49898197/EXPERIENCE-OF-VIOLENCE-
AMONG-SCHOOLCHILDREN-IN-LEBANON
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011, 82% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. More than half (56%) experienced physical punishment and 80% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (24%) of mothers
and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
In interviews with Palestinian young people, 28% believed that “it is appropriate for a husband to hit his
wife or for a brother to hit his sister”.
Ricerca e Cooperazione, Lebanon Family Planning Association and National Institute for Social Care and Vocational Training
(October 2007). “Adolescents and Young Adults in Six Palestinian camps in Lebanon: Reproductive Health and Emotional
Wellbeing” Funded by the European Commission. P. 78, cited in Save the Children Sweden (2008), Child Rights Situation
Analysis for Lebanon
Lesotho
As part of a situational analysis of vulnerable children carried out in 2011, caregivers were asked whether
children had been disciplined for behavioural problems in the three months prior to the survey; 9.2% of
all children had been hit or shaken in response to a perceived behavioural problem. An implement was
used in 75.1% of cases, with the child hit on the bottom (40%), hand/arm/leg (26.8%), or face/head/ears
(6.8%). A bruise or other mark was left on the child due to the punishment in 15.4% of cases, meaning
1.4% of all children had been physically punished to such an extent that it left a mark. A total of 40.8% of
children aged 12-17 years believed that physical discipline was necessary to raise a child. Of these
children, 14.3% said that they had been called a name or called stupid in the three months before the
survey.
Reported in Government of Lesotho, Initial Report of Lesotho on the Implementation of the African Union Charter on the
Rights & Welfare of the Child 1999-2013
Liberia
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2011, 94% of girls and 94% of boys aged 2
-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home
in the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2013), The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities, NY: UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
59% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 90% of children aged 2-14
experienced “violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. More than three quarters (76%) experienced physical punishment and 84%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller
percentage (61%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
In a baseline survey of parents and caregivers undertaking a parenting programme in Lofa in 2012, 36%
of caregivers reported shouting at their child every day. Severe forms of physical punishment such as
hitting, kicking, or locking the child in a room were rarely reported and only 8% of caregivers agreed it
was necessary to physically punish their child in order to raise them well, but when asked what they did
the last time their child misbehaved, more than half (53%) reported beating their child.
International Rescue Committee (2014), Parents Make the Difference: Findings from a randomized impact evaluation of a
parenting program in rural Liberia, New York, NY: International Rescue Committee
According to a survey conducted in 2007, 76% of children aged 2-14 years had experienced physical
punishment in the month prior to the survey. Psychological punishment was even more prevalent (83%)
while non-violent forms of discipline were extremely uncommon and used with only one in 20 children.
The use of physical punishment is highly normalised among parents and caregivers: six out of ten
households believe children need to be physically punished in order to be raised properly.
Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) at al (2008), Liberia Demographic and Health Survey
2007, Monrovia, Liberia: Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and Macro International Inc.
Lithuania
In a 2013 opinion poll that involved a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 18-75 year
olds, 54.2% said they had physically punished their children; 45.5% thought all corporal punishment
should be prohibited.
Reported in www.DELFI.lt, 14 January 2013
A study involving 500 people aged 15 and over found that 30% thought corporal punishment should
never be used – a decrease from the 40% who thought this in a similar survey in 2005. Sixty-four per cent
of parents said they had “smacked” their child, 53% beaten or hit them and 10% slapped their child on the
face. These findings on whether parents had ever used these forms of corporal punishment were similar to
those of a 2010 survey that asked identical questions.
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
As part of Save the Children’s 2011-2012 “Educate, Do Not Punish” project which aimed to protect
children from corporal punishment, including through law reform, a study involving 1,004 parents, 540
children and 250 social workers and other professionals working with children and parents was carried
out in 2012. More than four parents in ten (43.2%) said that a few times a year they slap their children,
17.5% embarrass and ridicule their children and 16% beat their child with an object. Children were asked
about their reactions to corporal and other degrading punishment: they said they feel anger (38.7%), argue
with adults (34.6%), laze about (25.5%) and have conflict with adults (24.2%). Nearly sixty per cent
(59.6%) of parents thought corporal punishment is justified in some situations and 37.3% thought it
should not be used; 23% supported prohibition of all corporal punishment, 44.2% were opposed to it.
Save the Children Lithuania (2012), The Situation of Invoking Corporal Punishment of Children in Lithuania: Study Summary,
Save the Children Lithuania
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In a 2008 survey of 1,143 10-15 year olds carried out by Save the Children, 48% said they had
experienced physical punishment and 5% said they were “constantly” being physically punished; 29%
believed physical punishment should never be used.
Save the Children (2008), Children’s interview on relations in their families, cited in Durrant, J. & Smith, A. (2011), Global
Pathways to Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, NY: Routledge
Thirty-eight per cent of respondents to a 2009 survey of 500 15-74 year olds believed corporal
punishment should never be used, 56% said it “should not be used in general but in certain situations it is
justifiable” and 5% felt it was acceptable “if the parent believes that it will be effective”; 29% believed
corporal punishment was experienced by more than 65% of children in Lithuania.
Children support centre (2009), Attitude towards physical punishment of children, www.canee.net/files/Omnibus%20research%
20Lithuania%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009.
A 2009 survey of 123 teachers in primary schools in Vilnius found that 64% believed corporal
punishment is humiliating for the child and 59% believed it meant that “the parents are not good at
rearing children”; 15% felt the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third
party. In an identical survey of a similar sample in 2005, 13% believed this. On average, respondents
estimated that 42% of children in Lithuania experience spanking as punishment, compared to an average
estimate of 58% in 2005.
Children Support Centre and Nobody’s Children Foundation (2009), Vilnius teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse, www.canee.
net/files/Teachers%20studies%20Lithuania%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies
carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009.
Madagascar
A study involving 100 children aged 4-17 who had experienced violence and 30 parents and other family
members revealed the severity of violence experienced by children. More than half the children (52%)
had been beaten with an object such as a belt or a broom, 49% had been hit with a hand, most commonly
on the back or the head, and 19% had been pinched or had a part of their body twisted. Other types of
violence included being insulted and threatened, having their hair pulled and being attacked with a knife.
Parents were the most common perpetrators of violence: of the 100 children, 43 had experienced violence
from their biological mother, 30 from their biological father and 7 from both. Other perpetrators included
grandparents, stepparents, uncles, aunts and older siblings. Thirty-five per cent of the children
experienced violence every day, 9% every week, 5% every month and 50% “sometimes”.
Plate Forme de la Société Civile pour l’Enfance & Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Juridiques (2011), La violence a l’egard
des enfants au sein de la famille en situation precaire a Antananarivo, Antananarivo: Plate Forme de la Société Civile pour
l’Enfance & Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Juridiques, Université d’Antananarivo
According to a survey conducted in the four regions of southern Madagascar in 2012, 64% of children
age 2–14 years were subjected to physical punishment during the month preceding the survey, with 20%
of children subjected to severe physical punishment. Overall, 84% of children were subjected to at least
one form of psychological or physical punishment by their mothers, caregivers or other adult household
members.
Instat Madagascar, World Bank & UNICEF (2013), Madagascar Sud: Enquête par Grappes à Indicateurs Multiples (MICS)
2012, Rapport Final
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Malawi
A study of the 104 childcare institutions (orphanages, special needs centres, church homes, transit care
centres and reformatory centres) in Malawi, which involved interviews with staff in the institutions and
focus group discussions with children, documented the use of corporal punishment, including children
being whipped, forced to kneel and forced to do hard work.
UNICEF Malawi & Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development (2011), All Children Count: A Baseline Study
of Children in Institutional Care in Malawi, Lilongwe: UNICEF
In a study in 40 schools, involving interviews with 800 students and 288 teachers, 68.5% of students
reported having been whipped/caned (20.5% in the home, 48% in school); 70.6% said they had
experienced beating/fighting. More boys than girls reported being beaten (47.2% and 40.7%
respectively).
DevTech Systems, Inc. and Centre for Educational Research and Training (2007), The Safe Schools program: Students and
teacher baseline report on school-related gender-based violence in Machinga district, Malawi, USAID
A study by the Human Rights Commission of Malawi in 2007 found that despite prohibition, corporal
punishment is still used in schools, especially in private schools.
Malawi Human Rights Commission (2007), The Existence and Implementation of Laws, Policies, and Regulations in Education
and How They Affect the Girl-Child in Malawi
A study by the National Statistics Office in 2005 of more than 4,500 children’s experiences of violence at
school found that one fifth had experienced something which made them afraid to go to school, including
violent corporal punishment (10.9%) and ill-treatment by the head or teachers (20.9%). The study also
found that up to 40% had experienced corporal punishment by parents. From teachers’ own reports, the
study found corporal punishment (including manual labour) to be the most common form of “discipline”
(36.3%), despite its prohibition.
Burton, P. (Crime & justice Statistics Division, National Statistics Office) (2005), Suffering at School: Results of the Malawi
Gender-Based Violence in Schools Survey, Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
28% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
According to a 2014 survey, 42.9% of 1–14 year olds were subjected to physical punishment during the
month preceding the survey, with 6.4% subjected to severe physical punishment. In contrast, only 5.5%
of respondents believed that physical punishment is needed to bring up, raise, or educate a child properly.
Over 72% of children were subjected to at least one form of psychological or physical punishment by
their parents or other adult household members, while less than 20% of children experienced only nonviolent discipline.
National Statistical Office (2015), Monitoring the situation of children and women: Malawi MDG Endline Survey 2014, Zomba,
Malawi: National Statistical Office
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Malaysia
In research on corporal punishment conducted in 2011 in nine primary and 10 secondary schools in six
Malaysian states, students reported being slapped in the face, pinched, hit on the back of the head and
verbally abused; having their hair, eyebrows, ears, and sideburns pulled, and being forced to do repetitive
physical activity such as “squats” while crossing their arms and holding their ear-lobes.
Qualitative Research on the Prevalence and Impact of Corporal Punishment in Primary and Secondary National and NationalType Schools, Draft as of August 2010, from ongoing UNICEF project research program on corporal punishment, supported by
HELP University College, cited in Child Rights Coalition Malaysia (2012), Status Report on Children’s Rights in Malaysia,
Child Rights Coalition Malaysia
A study of 120 parents in Malaysia found that 40% had inflicted “moderate” physical punishment (hitting
with an object, spanking, pinching, pulling hair, twisting a child’s ear, “knuckling” the back of a child’s
head, forcing a child to kneel or stand painfully, putting chilli pepper in a child’s mouth and/or shaking a
child aged over 2) on their child. Eight per cent had inflicted severe physical punishment, including
shaking a child aged under 2, kicking, choking, smothering, burning, beating up, threatening with a knife
or gun and/or giving a child drugs or alcohol.
Runyan, D. K. et al (2009), Child Abuse & Neglect 33: 826-832, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012),
Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
According to official figures, 31 sentences of whipping were passed on Malaysian boys under section 91
(g) of the Child Act and section 288 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the ten years up to April 2012; 31
sentences of whipping were carried out on boys during that time. In the same period, 19 sentences of
whipping were passed on Malaysian children (boys and girls), and 19 carried out, under Sharia
legislation.
Information provided to the Global Initiative by the Prison Department of Malaysia, 27 April 2012
Maldives
A study which involved focus groups with 15 10-18 year olds and interviews with children and staff in
alternative care settings documented the use of isolation for over a week as a punishment in a
“correctional training centre”.
Naseem, A. (2011), Child participation in the Maldives: An Assessment of Knowledge, UNICEF & Human Rights Commission
of the Maldives
An unpublished large scale 2009 UNICEF study found that 47% of children had experienced physical or
emotional punishment at home, at school or in the community. The study involved almost 17,035 people
in 2,500 households and 2,000 children in schools. Thirty per cent of children at secondary school had
been hit by at least one of their caregivers, 21% with an object; 8% of school students had been physically
punished by their teachers.
Reported by Minivan News, 21 February 2011, www.minivannews.com
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
70% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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A 2012 report on the widespread and systematic use of torture and ill-treatment by security services
identified the use of torture as individual or collective punishment as a striking feature of many of the
testimonials – including those of children. Six of the testimonials included in the report were children at
the time of their arrest and ill-treatment; the youngest reports to have been 13 at the time. One woman (14
at the time) reported being tied to a tree for four days and nights, being kicked and beaten with batons,
being forced to roll on sharp coral and having sewage water poured on her, as collective punishment for a
riot that had taken place in the prison.
Redress & Torture Victims’ Association Maldives (2012), This is what I wanted to tell you – Addressing the legacy of torture
and ill-treatment in the Maldives, London, UK: Redress & Torture Victims’ Association Maldives
Mali
In a 2009 study which involved interviews with 1,200 adults and 600 children aged 10-15, 83.3% of
adults and 82.5% of children said corporal punishment happens in schools, despite it being prohibited. A
large majority (89.1%) of respondents said corporal punishment has a negative impact on children. Over
half the girls (55.7%) did not feel able to speak about their rights to an adult who had inflicted corporal
punishment on them at school, and 53% of women did not feel able to speak about their child’s rights to
an adult who had inflicted corporal punishment on their child. Half the respondents (50.6%) said they
would not tell the authorities if they or their child experienced corporal punishment. Sixty-four per cent of
respondents said violence in schools was partly due to a lack of teacher training. The report recommends
prohibition of all corporal punishment, in line with the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights
of the Child.
Antonowicz, L. (2010), La violence faite aux enfants en milieu scolaire au Mali, Plan & Save the Children
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
75% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Marshall Islands
In a study which involved questionnaires, group activities and interviews with adults and children
throughout the Marshall Islands, carried out in 2010, 46% of interviewees working in education said
teachers use corporal punishment in schools. Seven to 11 year olds who were involved in the study said
“teacher spanking us” was one of the top four actions which children don’t like at school. Of the 660 16
and 17 year olds who took part in the research, 8% said they had been physically punished at home every
day in the past month, 12% they had been physically punished once a week, 5% once every two weeks
and 6% once during the past month.
UNICEF Pacific (2012), Child Protection Baseline Report Republic of the Marshall Islands, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Mauritania
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2012, 87% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2014), The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers: Every Child Counts, NY: UNICEF
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According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011, 87% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Seventy-eight per cent experienced physical punishment and 82% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (36%) of mothers
and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Mexico
A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In Mexico, of the 982 men who participated, 26% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 16% threatened with physical punishment
in the home and 16% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people; 67% reported having
been beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher. Men who had experienced violence, including
corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence, hold
inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or robberies, pay for sex and
experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate in domestic duties,
communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is pregnant and/or take
paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
A report on institutions including psychiatric hospitals and shelters in Mexico found that children and
adults with disabilities are kept in permanent restraints, and that this constitutes cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment and sometimes torture.
Rosenthal, E. et al (2010), Abandoned & Disappeared: Mexico’s Segregation and Abuse of Children and Adults with
Disabilities¸ Disability Rights International & Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos
Micronesia
A study of 1,475 14-17 year olds found that 13% of boys and 7% of girls had experienced an intentional
injury from a teacher in the past year.
Smith, B. J. et al (2008), “Intentional injury reported by young people in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kingdom of Tonga
and Vanuatu”, BMC Public Health, 8 (145), 1-8, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
Key informants in a 2014 survey reported physical punishment as one of three main ways their
community uses to deal with children who have committed an offence and/or crimes, at a rate of 17%. In
relation to educational settings, data shows 55% of parents/guardians believe physical punishment is used
in schools, compared to 42% of children that reported school physical punishment in this survey; children
also reported greater positive disciplining and praising by teachers (87%) than parents believe happens
(74%).
UNICEF & Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (2014), Protect Me with Love and Care: Child Protection
Baseline Report for the Federated States of Micronesia, Suva, Fiji: UNICEF Pacific
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Mongolia
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 46% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey.
National Statistics Office & UNICEF (2011), Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010: Summary Report, Ulaanbaatar: National
Statistics Office
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 79% of children aged 2-14 experienced
physical punishment and/or psychological aggression in the home in the month prior to the survey,
carried out in 2005-2006: 37% experienced physical punishment and psychological aggression, 42%
psychological aggression only and 1% physical punishment only; boys were more likely than girls to be
physically punished (42% compared with 34%). Children with disabilities were more likely to experience
severe physical punishment (47% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on the face,
head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement, compared with 40% of children
without disabilities).
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in
eight countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Mongolia involved 607 children from urban, semi-urban and rural areas, and 40 adults. Methods used
included research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey, sentence completion, and discussions.
Physical punishments mentioned by children in Mongolia included slapping, hitting with implements,
forcing to the ground, bearing with a rubber baton, pinching, grabbing, pulling hair, scratching. Children
in institutions mentioned the following punishments: adults stomping on their stomachs, being forced to
the ground, having to stand in the hot sun, being hit with a rubber baton. The prevalence of punishment
was given as direct assault (hitting) for children aged 10-13 years 45.6%, other direct assault 5%, indirect
assault 9%, deliberate neglect 1.2, and verbal attack 33.8%. Of those from urban areas who were hit,
70.4% were hit with an implement, 21.4% were slapped with the hand, 8.2% kicked. The study included
55 children in institutions, with 25% reporting punishments such as being beaten with a rubber truncheon
and having to maintain uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. Reasons for punishment were
given mainly as failure of behaviour (30% home, 22% school) and failure of obedience (60% home, 46%
school).
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2013, 46% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. A quarter experienced physical punishment and 38% experienced psychological aggression
(being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (16%) of mothers and
caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
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A 2005 study of nearly 600 children on corporal punishment in schools found that only 12 had not been
subjected to any form of punishment; 71.1% reported being beaten at school and 41.9% reported
experiencing verbal abuse. The figures were higher for children from children’s institutions (85.1%
reported being beaten, 38.8% subjected to verbal abuse, 38.8% slapped and 26% hit with rubber batons
and subjected to harsh physical experiences and labour). Over two thirds of these children (68%) reported
that children are constantly subjected to punishment in the children’s institutions. The survey also found a
high prevalence of corporal punishment at home; 42.3% of 10-11 and 14-15 year olds reported being
regularly punished at home; 67.4% of rural children reported being constantly beaten at home.
Save the Children UK/Gender Center for Sustainable Development (2005), Corporal Punishment of Children: Views of children
in some schools, kindergartens and institutions: Summary report
A survey carried out in 2012 by the Statistics Department of the Governor’s Office of Nalaikh District as
part of the global MICS programme found 42% of children age 2-14 years had been subjected to at least
one form of psychological or physical punishment by household members during the month preceding the
survey; 21% had experienced physical punishment and 4% severe physical punishment (hitting the child
on the head, ears or face or hitting the child hard and repeatedly). Sixteen percent of parents with basic
education, and 8% with upper secondary, college, or university education, believe that physical
punishment is necessary for raising children properly. Forty-eight percent of children had experienced
only non-violent forms of discipline.
Statistics Department of the Governor’s Office of Nalaikh District & UNICEF (2014), Nalaikh Child Development Survey 2012
(MICS), Final Report, Nalaikh District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: Statistics Department of the Governor’s Office of Nalaikh
District & UNICEF
Montenegro
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006found that 63% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Forty-five per cent experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (5%)
of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 93% of children. Six per cent of children were severely
physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an implement), 56%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children
living in larger households were more likely to experience violent discipline (67% of children in
households of 6 or more people compared to 53% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics
also suggest that children with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most
countries involved in the study. Children living in households with adults with a higher average level of
education were less likely to experience violent discipline than those living with less educated adults. No
significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, age or
engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 8% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were
hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the
home in the past month, compared with 6% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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In June 2009, a survey of 1,000 mothers and others primary carers of children under 6 found that 55% had
hit their child in the past week, although a smaller percentage (9%) believed physical punishment was
necessary in childrearing. The survey also included 200 mothers and others primary carers living in Roma
settlements: of these, 78% said they had hit their child in the past week and 32% thought physical
punishment was necessary in childrearing. Following an awareness-raising campaign about early
childhood development, including alternatives to physical punishment, a similar survey, carried out in
November 2009, found that a smaller percentage (22%) of parents had physically punished their children
in the past week.
Strategic Marketing Research (2009), Early childhood development for UNICEF, June 2009, StrategicPuls Group; Ipsos
Strategic Marketing (2009), Early childhood development – 2nd phase: Testing of campaign for UNICEF, November 2009,
Ipsos
According to a 2013 survey, 31% of children age 1–14 years were subjected to physical punishment
during the month preceding the survey, with 2% of children subjected to severe physical punishment. In
contrast, only 6% of respondents believed that physical punishment is needed to bring up, raise, or
educate a child properly. Boys were subjected to physical discipline (36%) more than girls (26%). In
terms of wealth status, 44% of children in the poorest households were subjected to physical punishment
compared to 20% of children in the richest households. In total, 69% of children were subjected to at least
one form of psychological or physical punishment by their parents or other adult household members.
Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) and UNICEF (2014), Monitoring the situation of children and women: Multiple
Indicator Cluster Survey 2013, Final Report, Podgorica, Montenegro: Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) and
UNICEF
Morocco
In a study by the National Human Rights Council on the rights of children in child protection centres
(accommodating children in conflict with the law and children without parental care), which included
visits to 17 centres and focus groups with children and staff, a large number of children said physical
violence was the “pedagogical tool” used to “discipline” them. Punishments included hitting children
with pipes and sticks and slapping them. Some staff members thought using violence was the only way to
“correct” children.
Conseil national des droits des homes (2013), Enfants dans les centres de sauvegarde: une enfance en danger - pour une
politique de protection intégrée de l’enfant, Rabat: CNDH
A 2012 study by Human Rights Watch documented beatings and insults used as punishments for child
domestic workers by their employers. Virtually all child domestic workers in Morocco are girls; the 20
girls interviewed for the report had begun work aged 8-15.
Human Rights Watch (2012), Lonely Servitude: Child Domestic Labor in Morocco, NY: Human Rights Watch
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study on violence in schools in Morocco, conducted by the Ministry of National Education, Higher
Education, Executives Training and Scientific Research (MNE) and UNICEF in collaboration with the
School of Psychology, gathered qualitative data from 1,411 students through 100 group interviews and 57
teachers through seven group interviews and quantitative data through questionnaires filled in by 5,349
students, 1,827 teachers, 833 parents and 194 directors from a sample of 194 primary schools. The study
found that the prevalence of violence in Moroccan schools was extremely high, and that corporal
punishment was the most commonly used method of “discipline”. Usually parents were aware that their
children experienced physical punishment at school and accepted this. Corporal punishment was
perceived as one of the most useful pedagogical tools by the majority of teachers, with teachers believing
children need to fear them in order to perform better. Nearly nine children in ten (87%) said they had
been hit for a punishment at school, 60% with rulers, sticks or pipes. Other corporal punishment included
tying children’s legs together with a rope, electrocution on the chest, legs and hands, kicking, and making
children raise their feet for two hours. Sixty-one per cent of children said they had been hit as a
punishment by their parents. Seventy-three per cent of teachers said they had used corporal punishment.
Teachers said they use corporal punishment when children do not do homework, come late to school,
miss class, talk during class or fight.
Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, Executive Trainings and Scientific Research & UNICEF (2005), Violence in
Schools, School of Psychology of Casablanca
According to a report by the Moroccan Ministry of Justice, widespread violence against children is
reported in government run orphanages and care institutions, with physical punishment being the most
practiced disciplinary measure.
Cited in Abdul-Hamid, Y. (2011), Child Rights Situation Analysis: Middle East and North Africa, Save the Children Sweden
At least 1,000 cases of violence in schools were recorded in 2009, according to the Centre for People’s
Rights: 400 cases were physical violence, 350 psychological violence and 126 sexual violence. The
physical violence mostly consisted of corporal punishment, including slapping, kicking and hitting with
sticks, iron rulers and electrical cables.
Reported in Algeria News, 8 October 2010, http://news.marweb.com/algeria
According to statistics collected in 2006-2007 under round 3 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey programme (MICS3), 91% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical
punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Forty-one per
cent of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Nearly a
quarter (24%) of children experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head
or ears or being hit over and over with an implement), 89% experienced psychological aggression (being
shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
UNICEF (2008), Enquête Nationale à Indicateurs Multiples et Santé des Jeunes, ENIMSJ 2006-2007, Rabat, Maroc: UNICEF
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Mozambique
A study involving more than 1,000 girls in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique analysed the impact of
ActionAid’s 2008-2013 project “Stop Violence Against Girls in School”. The project included awareness
raising and lobbying for the adoption and implementation of legal and policy measures that ensure
education is free from corporal punishment in the three countries. The study found that in 2013 the use of
some forms of corporal punishment had reduced since the baseline survey carried out in 2009. In
Mozambique in 2009, 52% of girls had been whipped or caned in the past 12 months; by 2013, this had
dropped to 29%. Girls’ most recent experiences of corporal punishment usually took place in school. The
study recommends prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and measures to implement the
prohibition.
ActionAid International (2013), Stop Violence Against Girls in School: A cross-country analysis of change in Ghana, Kenya
and Mozambique, Johannesburg: ActionAid
In 2009, over 2,600 children aged 6-18 took part in a survey, while 168 children drew pictures and talked
about the last time they were punished at home and at school. One child in three had been hit with a hand
at home in the past two weeks, 37% beaten with an object; 6-8 year olds were more likely to have been
hit than older children, and children from low income families were more likely to have been hit than
children from high income families. About one child in three had been hit with a hand at school in the
past two weeks, 40% hit with an object.
Clacherty, G. et al (2009), Children’s Experiences of Punishment in Mozambique: A Qualitative and Quantitative Survey,
Pretoria: Save the Children Sweden
Myanmar
Corporal punishment is widespread in the family home and in primary schools, according to a 2012
situation analysis of children in Myanmar. In the home, children are punished by being slapped and
beaten with implements. In a baseline study carried out in primary schools in 2007 as part of a UNICEF
child-friendly schools program, 82% of students said they were beaten if they “did something wrong” and
62% of teachers told their students they would be beaten if they did not perform well in a test. More than
40% of teachers caned students more than once a week. Although some schools reported declining rates
of corporal punishment following the child-friendly schools program, 50% still used physical punishment.
The situation analysis notes that corporal punishment is lawful and recommends prohibition.
Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development & UNICEF (2012), Situation Analysis of Children in Myanmar July
2012, Nay Pyi Taw: UNICEF
A report on alternative care for children in some countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
found that the use of corporal punishment was one of ten fundamental issues affecting the care and
protection of children in residential care.
UNICEF (2006), Alternative Care for Children without Primary Caregivers in Tsunami-Affected Countries: Indonesia,
Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand
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Namibia
A 2008 survey of 1,680 respondents found that 78% thought a parent had a right to hit their child if the
child was disobedient, 63% if the child did not want to go to school, 51% if the child ran away from home
and 27% if the child performed poorly in school. Almost 61% believed it was common in their
communities for children to be smacked or caned. Respondents from households with children aged 2-14
years old were asked what forms of discipline had been used in their household: 40% said children had
been spanked, hit or slapped on the bottom with a bare hand, 30% said children had been hit with objects
and 18% that children had been hit or slapped on the face, head or ears.
SIAPAC (2008), Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study on Factors and Traditional Practices that may Perpetuate or
Protect Namibians from Gender Based Violence and Discrimination: Caprivi, Erongo, Karas, Kavango, Kunene, Ohangwena,
Omaheke, and Otjozondjupa Regions (Final Report), Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, cited in Hubbard, D. et al
(2010), Corporal Punishment: National and International Perspectives, Windhoek: Legal Assistance Centre
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
35% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Nauru
A 2005 report stated that some incidents of teachers beating children had been reported.
UNICEF (2005), Nauru: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women and Youth, Suva: UNICEF Pacific Office
Nepal
A survey involving 100 students and 30 teachers at five government-aided and five private schools in the
Kathmandu Valley found that a majority of the children experienced corporal punishment at school and
almost all had seen or heard corporal punishment at school. Children said the most common types of
punishment were being forced to hold their ears and sit up and down repeatedly, being beaten and being
forced to maintain painful positions. Other punishments included having their ears or hair pulled, being
forced to fight with a friend, being scolded, being hit with a stick or duster and being made to stand on a
bench. Children were punished for being late, “speaking rubbish, doing bad things,” fighting with friends,
not being attentive in class and not answering teachers’ questions. Corporal punishment resulted in
injuries, back pain, marks and swelling. Children said corporal punishment made them feel bad, unhappy,
humiliated, depressed, angry, scared and embarrassed about facing their friends, and it made them lose
interest in studying and feel like quitting school. Although most teachers said that after inflicting corporal
punishment of children they regretted it, felt uneasy or felt distressed, the majority said corporal
punishment was effective and should continue to be used. Most students said physical punishment was
harmful to students, could lead to emotional and psychological disorder problems and so should be
stopped. The study recommends prohibition of corporal punishment.
Sanchar, H. et al (2013), Physical Punishment at School: a Study (Summary), Save the Children Norway
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 83% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Six children in ten (61%)
experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (36.1%) of mothers and caregivers thought
physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Eighteen per cent of children were severely
physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an implement), 79%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Central Bureau of Statistics (2012), Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010, Mid- and Far Western Regions, Final
Report. Kathmandu: Central Bureau of Statistics & UNICEF Nepal
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A study on barriers to education for children with disabilities in Nepal found that students with
disabilities experienced corporal punishment at home and at school, and that this could contribute to the
children’s lack of access to education.
Human Rights Watch (2011), Futures Stolen: Barriers to Education for Children with Disabilities in Nepal
A 2008 study in 71 child centres in Nepal involved interviews and focus groups with children, child
centre staff and children’s biological parents. It found that punishments in child centres included children
being hit, isolated, locked in the toilet, publicly humiliated, and forced to clean floors and toilets.
UNICEF & Terre des Hommes (2008), Adopting the Rights of the Child: A study on intercountry adoption and its influence on
child protection in Nepal, www.crin.org/docs/adopting_rights_child_ICA.pdf
In a study in the schools of Kathmandu, 82% of students were found to suffer physical punishment at
school; 80% of students said alternative methods can be used to discipline children.
Reported in The Rising Nepal, 24 December 2006
In a survey conducted between October 2013 and March 2014, about 1,440 Nepalese students aged 12–17
years were asked about their experience of violence at school in the last 6 months. A quarter of all
students (32% of boys and 21% of girls) said they were asked to stand on the bench or in a corner or
outside the class – this is specific to teachers, as they use it to punish students.
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Plan International (2014), Are Schools Safe and Gender Equal
Spaces? Findings from a baseline study of school related gender-based violence in five countries in Asia, Plan International
A survey carried out in 2014 by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) as part of the global MICS
programme found 82% of children age 1-14 years had been subjected to at least one form of
psychological or physical punishment by household members during the month preceding the survey;
53% had experienced physical punishment and 14% severe physical punishment (hitting the child on the
head, ears or face or hitting the child hard and repeatedly). Only 13% of children had experienced only
non-violent forms of discipline.
Central Bureau of Statistics (2015), Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014, Final Report, Kathmandu, Nepal: Central
Bureau of Statistics & UNICEF Nepal
Netherlands
A study involving focus groups and face to face interviews with 104 13-22 year olds with experience of
youth custody in Austria, Cyprus, England, the Netherlands and Romania found that young people
experienced physical violence and solitary confinement lasting up to two months as a punishment, as well
as group punishments including being confined to their rooms and forbidden to attend school.
Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2013), Speaking Freely: Children and Young People in Europe Talk about Ending
Violence Against Children in Custody – Research Report, London: CRAE
New Zealand
A 2013 survey of 750 adults in New Zealand, which used questions and a methodology comparable to
earlier studies, found that a large majority of respondents (93%) were aware of the law reform which
prohibited all corporal punishment and that acceptance of physical punishment of children was declining
steadily. In 2013, 40% of respondents thought it sometimes alright for parents to physically punish
children, compared to 58% in 2008, more than 80% in 1993 and more than 90% in 1981. The proportion
of parents with children under 18 who thought it was alright to use physical punishment fell from 62% in
2008 to 35% in 2013.
Wood, B. (2013), Physical punishment of children in New Zealand – six years after law reform, EPOCH New Zealand
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A 2012 poll of 500 parents of children aged under 12 found that 44% had not smacked their children
since the 2007 law change which prohibited all corporal punishment of children; 29% said they had
smacked “rarely”, 21% “occasionally” and 1% “frequently”.
Reported in New Zealand Herald, 2 April 2012, www.nzherald.co.nz
A 2007 Families Commission survey found that while 41% of parents and carers in the sample of 100
families with children under 5 had smacked their children, only 9% thought smacking was effective.
Around half the sample filled in detailed diary sheets about “disciplinary encounters” with their children
over three days. Of these parents, 2.6% smacked the child’s bottom at some point during the three days,
2% smacked the child’s hand and 2% smacked the child on another part of their body. Parents and carers
were two to three times more likely to use positive techniques (such as giving rewards and praise) than
punishments (such as smacking, verbal reprimands and withdrawal of privileges).
Lawrence, J. & Smith, A. (2009), Discipline in context: families’ disciplinary practices for children aged under five,
Wellington: Families Commission, www.familiescommission.govt.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/discipline-in-context.pdf; see
also Lawrence, J. & Smith, A. (2008), “Aotearoa/New Zealand Families: Their Perspectives on Child Discipline and Recent
Legislative Change”, Childrenz Issues, 12 (2), 17-24
A survey of 100 families with children under five found that 46% of parents and carers were in favour of
the legislation which gave children equal protection from assault to adults; 27% were opposed to the
legislation and 27% were undecided. Of those in favour of the law, 58% had an accurate understanding of
it. Of those undecided or opposed to reform, a large majority had an inaccurate understanding of the law
(81% of those who were undecided and 70% of those who were opposed to reform). The law came into
effect in June 2007. Around a third of the interviews were carried out before the law change, and two
thirds following it.
Lawrence, J. & Smith, A. (2008), “Aotearoa/New Zealand Families: Their Perspectives on Child Discipline and Recent
Legislative Change”, Childrenz Issues, 12 (2), 17-24; see also Lawrence, J. & Smith, A. (2009), Discipline in context: families’
disciplinary practices for children aged under five, Wellington: Families Commission
In the wake of prohibition of all corporal punishment in 2007, the Children’s Commissioner
commissioned a benchmark survey to gauge changes in attitudes towards corporal punishment and the
law. Of a nationally representative sample of 750 adults, 43% supported the law, 28% opposed it. The
research found a high awareness of the law change (91%), and high levels of support (84-89%) for the
principle of equal protection from assault for children and adults. Support for the use of corporal
punishment is declining over time: 58% agreed there are some circumstances in which smacking a child
is acceptable, compared with 87% in 1993 and around 90% in 1981. The research confirmed that attitudes
towards and knowledge of the law were changing even over the one-year period since its introduction.
The report includes detailed recommendations for continued and improved implementation of the law
based on the issues raised.
UMR Research (2008), Omnibus Survey Report: One year on: Public attitudes and New Zealand’s child discipline law, Office
of the Children’s Commissioner, www.occ.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/5669/OCC_UMR-Research_141108.pdf
One in ten children aged up to 14 had received physical punishment from their primary caretaker in the
four weeks leading up to the 2006/7 New Zealand Health Survey. However, only 5% of all primary
caregivers believed physical punishment was an effective form of punishment. Less than a third of those
who had used physical punishment in the previous four weeks felt it was effective. The survey was
carried out between October and 2006 and November 2007, before and after New Zealand prohibited all
corporal punishment, on a sample size of 17,000.
Ministry of Health (2008), A Portrait of Health – Key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey, www.moh.govt.
nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/7601/$File/physical-punishment-ch2.pdf
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In a poll of more than 3,000 respondents by The New Zealand Herald, almost 70% supported the return of
caning and strapping in schools.
Reported in Radio New Zealand News, 1 August 2007
Nicaragua
In a 2006-2007 study involving 10,113 women aged 15-49 with children, 34.4% reported that children in
their home were punished by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped. Women who had experienced partner
violence were more likely to report that children in their home were physically punished (41.2% of
women who had experienced partner violence compared to 32.3% of women who had not).
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
17% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Surveys carried out in 2002-2004 examined the attitudes of children and adults in Argentina, Brazil,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela towards physical punishment. In Nicaragua, 260 children
were surveyed. Nearly a third (33.1%) of the children agreed that children should not be physically
punished or that “punishment does not solve anything”, and nearly a quarter (24.6%) agreed that physical
punishment is “very bad” or “makes children violent”. Fifty-eight per cent thought that physical
punishment is never necessary.
Save the Children Sweden & Instituto de Encuestas y Sondeos de Opinión (2005), Sistematización de las Encuestas Sobre la
Perceptión del Castigo Físico en Seis Países de America Latina, presentation: Managua, 16 May 2005
Niger
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 82% of children aged 2-14
experienced “violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Two thirds (66%) experienced physical punishment and 77% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage
(45%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Nigeria
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2012, 91% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2014), The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers: Every Child Counts, NY: UNICEF
A report carried out at the end of the Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria and Tanzania
(TEGINT) project, a 2007-2012 initiative to transform the education of girls in Northern Tanzania and
Northern Nigeria, found that in Nigeria 71% of community members and 72% of girls agreed “it is not
okay for teachers to whip a girl who comes late to school because she was caring for a sick relative”. The
study involved surveys with 629 girls and 186 community members.
Institute of Education & ActionAid (2013), Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria: Endline research summary report,
Abuja: ActionAid Nigeria
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According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 91% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the past month. Seventy-nine per cent experienced
physical punishment, 34% severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or
being hit over and over with an implement) and 81% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled
at, screamed at or insulted).
National Bureau of Statistics et al (2011), Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011: Summary Report, Abuja: National
Bureau of Statistics
In a survey of 172 elementary school teachers in Ilorin State, 80% of respondents had seen pupils being
punished by elementary school teachers with a cane; 46% had seen pupils being punished with a horsewhip (“koboko”), and 30% with a hand; 61% had seen pupils being hit on the buttocks, 49% on the back,
52% on the palm of the hand, 20% on the head and 16% on the face. Twenty-nine per cent said they
favoured the use of corporal punishment by elementary school teachers.
Mahmoud, A. O. et al (2011), “Observations of teachers in Ilorin, Nigeria on practices of corporal punishment that are
potentially injurious to their pupils’ eyes”, Annals of African Medicine, 10 (2)
A study by the African Child Policy Forum in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Nigeria and Senegal found that hitting, beating and forced hard work were the most prevalent
forms of violence against girls, and that most of the physical violence experienced by girls was corporal
punishment. The study involved a survey of 3,025 young women (nearly 600 per country) aged 18-24
about the violence they had experienced in their childhood. In Nigeria, 84% had been hit during their
childhood, 90% beaten, 55% kicked, 71% denied food and 17% choked or burned. Parents and close
relatives were the most common perpetrators of physical violence.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Childhood Scars in Africa: A Retrospective Study on Violence Against Girls in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011, 91% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Nearly eight in ten (79%) experienced physical punishment and 81% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (62%) of mothers
and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
A report based on visits to police stations and prisons throughout Nigeria and interviews with hundreds of
former detainees documents widespread torture and ill-treatment, including of children in detention.
Amnesty International (2014), Welcome to Hell Fire: Torture and other Ill-treatment in Nigeria, London: Amnesty International
Nigeria’s first national Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) conducted in 2014 found
approximately six out of every 10 children experience some form of violence; half of all children
experience physical violence, with parents or adult relatives being the most common perpetrator. Male
teachers are the most common perpetrators of the first incident of physical violence against children in the
neighbourhood. One in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence by a parent, caregiver
or adult relative. The study notes that while it is not focused on acts of discipline, many of those
perpetrating the violence may be doing so in the name of “discipline”.
National Population Commission of Nigeria, UNICEF Nigeria & US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2015),
Violence Against Children in Nigeria: Findings from a National Survey, 2014, Abuja, Nigeria: UNICEF Nigeria
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Norway
A survey of 1,199 students aged 12-16 found that 82.4% thought “a child should never be corporally
punished”; 8% thought “a child can be corporally punished using mild forms of punishment (e.g.
smacking)”; 86% disagreed that “parents have a right to use mild forms of corporal punishment on their
children (e.g. smacking)”, and 91.9% agreed that “children must be protected from all forms of violence”.
UNICEF (2011), Nordic Study on Child Rights to Participate 2009-2010, Innolink Research
In a study on gender equality, which involved 2,805 women and men, participants were asked if they had
been physically punished or witnessed violence in their family as a child: 15% answered “yes” and 12%
“partly”. The results showed a decline in experience of corporal punishment and witnessing violence in
the home since the 1970s, with 16.3% of 17-24 year olds answering “yes” or “partly”, compared to 33.3%
of 65-79 year olds. Physical punishment by parents was associated with gender-unequal decision-making
in the home: 27% of respondents who said their father made the decisions at home reported physical
punishment or witnessing violence at home, compared to 17% where the mother made the decisions and
10% of those whose parents made decisions on an equal basis. The study found that experiencing physical
punishment or witnessing violence at home during childhood strongly reduced the chance of good quality
of life as an adult: it was associated with increased feelings of aggression, anger, anxiety and depression,
increased risk behaviour and increased involvement in traffic accidents. Those who had experienced
physical punishment or witnessed violence in the home were more likely to be teased and bullied outside
the home, be exposed to violent environments as an adult and be involved in violence and conflicts in
their relationships and in the workplace.
Holter et al (2009), Gender Equality and Quality of Life: A Norwegian Perspective, Nordic Gender Institute
A 2007 study found that one quarter of 18 year olds had experienced at least “mild” violence from one of
their parents, and 8% reported “serious” violence from one of them.
Mossige, S. & Stefanson, K. (eds) (2007), Violence and abuse against children and young people: A self-reporting study among
last year pupils in high school), Oslo: NOVA Rapport 20, cited in Durrant, J. & Smith, A. (2011), Global Pathways to
Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, NY: Routledge
Pakistan
In a 2013 study by Plan Pakistan, 20% of teachers “fully agreed” and 47% “partially agreed” that “a small
amount of physical punishment is necessary for most children”; 41% of parents and other adult family
members fully agreed and 38% partially agreed with the statement. Three quarters of teachers and 84% of
parents agreed that teachers were justified in beating students who were rude or disobedient; 65% of
teachers thought children who violated school rules “deserved” to be beaten, and 85% of parents thought
children who stole “deserved” physical punishment. Twenty per cent of teachers fully agreed and 31%
partially agreed that frequent “small amounts” of physical punishment had no harmful effect on a child.
Students were asked what the most common kind of physical punishment was: 24% said being beaten on
the palms of the hand with a stick or ruler, 22% slaps on the face or head. Other answers included being
forced to stand or sit in an uncomfortable position, being struck with a stick or ruler on body parts other
than the hand, and being kicked. The study, Stopping the Fear: Why Teachers Use Corporal
Punishment, involved more than 300 students and 137 teachers at 32 schools, half of which were run by
the government and half by NGOs or private organisations.
Plan Pakistan (2013), Stopping the Fear: Why teachers use corporal punishment, Islamabad, Pakistan: Plan Pakistan
According to a 2010 report by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), up to
35,000 students drop out of high school every year because of corporal punishment.
Reported in The Express Tribune, 27 June 2013
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A 2013 study documented beatings and other physical violence, sometimes amounting to torture, inflicted
on child domestic workers.
Child Rights Movement Punjab et al (2013), The unending plight of child domestic workers in Pakistan: Exploitation, abuse,
torture, rape and murder, Child Rights Movement Punjab, Institute for Social Justice, Society for the Protection of the Rights of
the Child & Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research
A study carried out as part of Plan International’s “Learn Without Fear” campaign found that physical
punishment was used in 89% of public and private schools in Punjab. Physical punishment was most
common in public schools, followed by private schools and then madrasas. It sometimes caused major
injury or death.
Reported in The Express Tribune, 19 November 2012
According to a 2012 report on violence against children in police and pre-trial detention, corporal
punishment is inflicted on children as a disciplinary measure in pre-trial detention.
Sheahan, S. & Randel, B. (2012), A review of law and policy to prevent and remedy violence against children in police and pretrial detention in eight countries, Penal Reform International & UKaid
According to a 2012 report by Plan International, nearly three-quarters of adult Pakistanis believe their
religion allows them to slap their children if they do not behave.
Global Advocacy Team (2012), Plan’s Learn Without Fear campaign: Third progress report, Woking, UK: Plan
In a survey carried out by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in 2011, 76%
of parents in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were in favour of corporal punishment of children.
Reported in PakistanToday, 1 January 2012, www.pakistantoday.com.pk
A participatory study by Save the Children, UNICEF and the Government of the North West Frontier
Province in three districts of NWFP – Peshawar, Hangu and D.I.Khan – revealed that corporal
punishment is widely used to discipline children in homes and educational institutions. A total of 155
consultations were undertaken, using participatory research techniques, with 3,582 children aged 6-14
from government and religious schools, 86 consultations with 1,231 parents, and 86 consultations with
486 teachers. Not one child reported never having received corporal punishment. Cumulatively, the
children identified 28 types of punishment used in homes and 43 in schools. The most common
punishments at home were hitting with an object (shoe, brick, iron rod, knife, etc), smacking, kicking,
punching, hair pulling and ear twisting. The most common in schools were smacking, hitting with an
object, hair pulling, ear twisting, and awkward and humiliating physical positions. About 43% of all
punishments identified were reported by children in government primary schools, about 30% in
government middle schools, 10% in government high schools, and 16% in private schools. Corporal
punishment at home and in schools was more frequent the younger the child. There were no significant
gender differences – boys and girls were subjected to similar frequencies of punishment. Corporal
punishment in homes was reported as being inflicted most frequently by immediate family members such
as parents (20.2%), grandparents (24.0%) and older siblings (18.9%) and uncles and aunts (27.3%),
followed by close relatives such as cousins and in-laws. Neighbours, village elders, tutors, housemaids
and other relations were reported as less frequently beating children. Corporal punishment in schools was
most commonly inflicted by the teacher and students assigned discipline duties in the school (49.6%),
including class monitor, commander, and assembly commander. Senior students were also frequently
reported to be hitting younger children (14.7%).
April 2005, Disciplining the Child: Practices and Impacts, Save the Children/UNICEF/Schools and Literacy Dept, Government
of NWFP
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At the launch of a joint Government and UNICEF campaign against violence against children in
November 2014, it was reported that a baseline survey conducted in five districts found that nine in 10
parents and caregivers had beaten their children.
Reported in The Express Tribune, 21 November 2014
A 2014 survey of 1,264 teachers (823 teachers and 441 head teachers) from 634 government and private
schools in 15 districts found that 73% agreed and 22% disagreed that “corporal punishment is useful”.
Reported in Dawn.com, 20 November 2014
A survey of students aged 12–17 years, conducted between October 2013 and March 2014, found that
44% had experienced physical violence by teachers in school in the last 6 months, and 30% had been
locked in the toilet by a teacher. Of the incidents that were reported (20% to a parent and 18% to another
teacher) no action was taken in two-thirds of cases. Parents and teachers who participated in the survey
said corporal punishment is on the decline in Pakistan, but students said it is still prevalent and is justified
as a corrective measure for students who commit mistakes. Teachers expressed a belief that corporal
punishment is necessary for ensuring good academic achievement and making students focus more on
their studies.
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Plan International (2014), Are Schools Safe and Gender Equal
Spaces? Findings from a baseline study of school related gender-based violence in five countries in Asia, Plan International
In 2014, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) identified corporal punishment
in homes, schools and places of work was identified as one of the most pervasive forms of violence
against children in Pakistan. SPARC reports a large number of incidents of corporal punishment are left
unreported due to a tacit cultural approval, stemming from traditional attitudes towards child rearing,
which overlooks (and encourages) acts of violence against children for “disciplinary” purposes.
Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) (2014), The State of Pakistan’s Children, Islamabad, Pakistan:
Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC)
Palau
In a survey conducted by UNICEF in 2014, adults, children and key informants were asked about their
perceptions of effective discipline. When asked to choose from a list of what children “enjoy” as a means
of effective discipline, ranging from positive discipline practices to physical punishment, all categories of
respondents placed an emphasis on positive discipline practices such as showing a good example (32%),
rapport and communication (31%) and rewarding good behaviour (28%). When presented with the
statement ‘Teachers/administrators don’t physically punish, hit, smack, pinch, kick, pull or twist
children’s ears’, 72% of children and 74% of adults and key informants agreed with the statement; 19%
of children, 18% of adults and 16% of key informants disagreed.
UNICEF & AusAid (2014), The Republic of Palau Child Protection Baseline Report: A baseline report for creating a future
free from violence, abuse and exploitation of girls and boys in Palau, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Panama
A report on juvenile detention centres in Panama found that the young people were regularly subjected to
very severe corporal punishment including beatings, the use of tear gas, being shot with rubber bullets
and threatened with rifles. Other cruel and degrading punishments included the denial of family visits and
imprisonment in very small cells with little water. The report was based on visits to four detention
centres, which together housed 268 juvenile detainees, approximately 82% of the total population of the
juvenile detention system.
Harvard International Human Rights Clinic, Alianza Ciudadana Pro Justicia & Asamblea Ciudadana de Panamá (2011),
Preventable Tragedy in Panama: Unnecessary Deaths and Rights Violations in Juvenile Detention Centers, report submitted to
the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for its 57th session
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2013, 45% of children aged 1-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Twenty-nine per cent experienced physical punishment and 33% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Seventeen per cent of one year olds had
been “spanked”, hit or slapped on the bottom with a bare hand and ten per cent had been hit or slapped on
the hand, arm or leg. A smaller percentage (8%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical
punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
Paraguay
In a 2010 study on violence in the juvenile penal system, based on interviews with 350 juvenile detainees,
35.8% of respondents said they had experienced violence from officials in the penal system.
Defensa de Niñas y Niños Internacional Seccion Paraguay (2012), Situacion de la Justicia Juvenil en Paraguay, Asunción: DNI
Paraguay
A survey carried out after a two-month UNICEF campaign designed to raise awareness about family
violence against children and provide parents with information about positive parenting asked 753 parents
about their childrearing opinions and practices. When asked what discipline strategy they used most,
57.1% of parents said they talked to their children, compared to 55.6% before the campaign. Just over one
parent in ten (11.5%) said they shouted or raised their voice, compared to one in five (20.4%) before the
campaign. Before the campaign, 3.6% of parents said they most often “used a belt or other object”; after
the campaign, 0.9% said this. After the campaign, nearly nine out of ten parents (88.9%) believed it was
possible to bring up children without hitting them or using verbal violence, compared to 76.6% before the
campaign. One in ten (10.2%) did not think it was possible, compared to one in five (20.3%) before the
campaign. Seven in ten (70.3%) of those interviewed remembered the campaign. Of these, 46.5% thought
the campaign would influence their friends’ and neighbours’ way of bringing up children a lot, 34% a
little.
First Analysis y Estudios (2010), Sin Violencia si Educa Mejor: medición comparativa post campaña¸ UNICEF
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In a 2010 UNICEF study, 61% of respondents had experienced violence or other kinds of mistreatment
from their closest family members. The study, the first of its kind in Paraguay, involved over 800 children
and young people aged 10-18, attending 54 private and public schools in different areas of the country.
Over a third (35%) of respondents had experienced severe physical violence (being hit with objects,
kicked, burned or suffocated) in their families, 13% “light” physical violence (including slaps, having
their hair pulled and being forced to stay in uncomfortable positions); 13% had experienced psychological
violence such as insults and threats of abandonment. The physical violence had serious consequences,
with 13% reporting being hit until they bled and 7.7% needing medical attention due to violence. More
than half remembered that they began to experience family violence at 3-5 years old. Boys experienced
more severe physical violence than girls, while girls experienced more psychological violence than boys.
Physical and psychological violence was experienced by children of all social classes, though children at
public and subsidised schools experienced more physical violence than children in private schools, while
children in private schools experienced more psychological violence than their publicly schooled peers.
Parents with a higher level of education were less likely to use physical violence – e.g. 23.9% of mothers
and 26.8% of fathers who had been to university used severe physical violence as a punishment,
compared to 46.8% of mothers and 55.6% of fathers who had not been to school. The results of the study
suggested that, as mothers spend more time with their children than fathers, mothers use physical violence
more often than fathers. However, mothers were more likely to decrease their use of physical violence as
their children grew older, while fathers were more likely to use a greater degree of violence than mothers
and to continue to use it at the same level as their children grew older. Mothers who spent less time with
their children used most physical violence – 27.7% of those who spent all day at home used severe
physical violence, compared to 39.6% of other mothers who spent only some hours of the day or some
days of the week at home.
UNICEF (2010), Resumen Para Prensa: Estudio sobre maltrato infantil en el ámbito familiar, Paraguay 2010 www.unicef.
org/paraguay/spanish/py_resumen_periodistas_estudio_14set10.pdf (in Spanish)
In a 2008 study involving 4,029 women aged 15-49 with children, 25.1% reported that children in their
home were punished by being hit, beaten, spanked or slapped. Women who had experienced partner
violence were more likely to report that children in their home were physically punished: 34.8% of
women who had experienced partner violence compared to 23.3% of women who had not.
Bott, S. et al (2012), Violence Against Women In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis Of Populationbased Data From 12 Countries, Washington DC: Pan American Health Organisation & Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Peru
As part of a 2012 assessment by SOS Children’s Villages of the implementation of the UN Guidelines for
the Alternative Care of Children, the Ombudsman reported that children in residential care experienced
physical punishment including limitation of food and were also punished by having their free time or
study time reduced, being forced to do domestic work and having family visits limited or stopped.
SOS Children’s Villages International (2012), A Snapshot of Alternative Care Arrangements in Peru, Innsbruck: SOS Children’s
Villages International
According to a 2012 report by Plan International, 94% of Peruvians think governments should completely
outlaw all violence in schools.
Global Advocacy Team (2012), Plan’s Learn Without Fear campaign: Third progress report, Woking, UK: Plan
In a 2011 study carried out in Lima, Huancayo and Iquitos, 27% of the children involved had been struck
with an object at home and 6.4% had suffered serious injury, such as cuts or burns.
Reported in Catholic Review, 6 September 2012
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A 2011 national study on demographics and family health asked 16,464 mothers with children living at
home about the punishments used by parents. Physical punishment was the third most common type of
punishment, used by 31.7% of biological fathers and 35.6% of biological mothers. Verbal reprimands
were the most common type of punishment, followed by not allowing children something they liked.
Sixty-two per cent of the mothers interviewed said they had been hit by their parents as children; 18%
believed physical punishment was necessary to bring up their children, compared to 33.4% in 2000.
Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica (2011), Perú: Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud Familiar 2011
In a survey of 1,000 adults in 15 cities by Ipsos Apoyo, published by El Comercio, 42% agreed with
using corporal punishment “occasionally” to discipline children; 56% were against physical punishment.
Reported in Living in Peru, 27 September 2009, www.livinginperu.com/news/10206
Philippines
In a study on the wellbeing and vulnerability of child domestic workers, 22% of the child domestic
workers involved in the Philippines said their employers physically punished them. The study was
conducted in 2009 in Peru, Costa Rica, Togo, Tanzania, India and Philippines with around 3,000 children,
mostly aged 10-17, half of whom worked as paid or unpaid domestic workers.
Anti-Slavery International (2013), Home Truths: Wellbeing and vulnerabilities of child domestic workers, London: Anti-Slavery
International
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in the Philippines 71% of girls and 77% of boys had
experienced “mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or
slapping on the hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), and 9% of girls and 8% of boys had
experienced severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears; beating
the child repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller
percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for
girls, 13% of mothers and 16% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 20% of mothers and 15% of
fathers.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A 2010 survey of 270 grade-six students with an average age of 12 found that 61.1% had experienced
physical punishment at home; 74.5% of those who experienced physical punishment had been pinched,
49.7% beaten, 13.9% slapped, 3.6% kicked and 3% punched. Boys were more likely to be physically
punished than girls, with 64.8% of boys experiencing beating compared to 40.9% of girls. The rate of
pinching was similar for boys and girls. Mothers were reported to inflict more physical punishment than
fathers, with mothers solely responsible for pinching, while both mothers and fathers beat children. The
most common reasons for being physically punished were disobedience, cited by 35.6% of children who
had been punished, and “pasaway” (35.3%) or being naughty, which included causing younger siblings to
cry, interrupting adult conversations by what was perceived to be meaningless or disrespectful chatter,
play-fighting with other children or siblings, making noises and disrupting order in the house. A third
(32.9%) of the children said they “felt nothing” after being physically punished, 25% were angry, 14.5%
lonely or sad and 7.2% felt hatred.
Sanapo, M. & Nakamura, Y. (2010), “Gender and Physical Punishment: The Filipino Children’s Experience”, Child Abuse
Review, published online in Wiley Online Library DOI: 10.1002/car.1148
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A 2009 study involving 2,400 children through questionnaires, interviews and group discussions found
that violence against children by adults in school is usually inflicted in the guise of “discipline”. The most
common form of violence by adults was pinching, experienced by 18% of 6-13 year olds. This was
closely followed by verbal violence such as shouting, and spanking with hands or an object, experienced
by 16% of 6-10 year olds and 13% of 9-13 year olds.
Plan Philippines (2009), Toward a Child-Friendly Education Environment - A Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in
Public Schools, plan-international.org/learnwithoutfear/files/philippines-toward-a-child-friendly-education-environment-english
A UNICEF study found that 49.7% of 2-14 year olds experienced “minor” physical punishment and
12.9% severe physical punishment.
ECPAT International, UNESCAP & UNICEF EAPRO (2008), East Asia and the Pacific regional preparatory meeting for the
World Congress III against sexual exploitation of children and adolescents: Regional report, Bangkok, Thailand, cited in
UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A
Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in the Philippines involved 139 children (69 boys, 70 girls) from urban areas and 78 adults (34 men and
44 women). Methods included research diaries, body maps, attitude survey, sentence completion, and
discussions. Physical punishments mentioned by children in the Philippines included hitting, punishing,
spanking, whipping, use of implements, hair pulling, ear twisting, and pinching.
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm: Save the Children Sweden
A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children aged under 18, carried out between 1998
and 2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines and the United States.
In the Philippines, 83% of children experienced “moderate” physical discipline (including being
“spanked” on the buttocks, hit with an object, slapped on the face and having hot pepper put in their
mouth). Nearly one child in ten (9.9%) experienced harsh physical discipline (including being burnt,
beaten up, kicked and smothered). More than seven in ten (71%) experienced harsh psychological
discipline such as being called names, being cursed and being threatened with abandonment. “Moderate”
psychological discipline, including being yelled or screamed at or being refused food was experienced by
87% of children. Non-violent discipline, including explaining why a behaviour was wrong and telling a
child to stop, was also widely used (experienced by 98% of children). The study found that rates of harsh
physical discipline were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of official physical
abuse in any country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among communities within
the same country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
24% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Poland
In research in 2013, involving 1,000 adults, 60% agreed “there are situations when a child needs to be
smacked”, compared to 68% in 2012, 69% in 2011 and 78% in 2008. In 2013, 33% disagreed with the
statement, compared to 29% in 2012, 27% in 2011 and 19% in 2008. In 2013, 45% thought the
prohibition of corporal punishment was right and would have positive effects.
Ombudsman for Children (2013), Annual Report of the Ombudsman for Children of the Republic of Poland for 2013, Warsaw:
Office of the Ombudsman for Children
In a study involving 1,000 people aged 15 and over, 47% thought corporal punishment should never be
used – an increase from 35% in a similar survey in 2005. Sixty-five per cent of parents said they had
“smacked” their child (compared to 72% in a similar survey in 2010), 26% said they had beaten or hit
them (37% in 2010) and 11% that they had beaten them with a belt (16% in 2010).
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
A study conducted in 2011 on behalf of the Children’s Ombudsman, involving 1,005 residents of Poland
aged 15-75, found decreases in the social acceptance of parents hitting children since the achievement of
full prohibition in 2010. In research published in 2008, 78% of respondents agreed “there are situations
when a child needs to be smacked”, compared to 69% in 2011; in 2008, 19% disagreed with the
statement, compared to 27% in 2011. A previous comparison of research carried out in 1994 and 2008 did
not reveal similar decreases in public approval of corporal punishment, suggesting that law reform and
accompanying public education activities had an impact on public opinion. The study also showed a high
rate of awareness of the law: 74% of respondents agreed “beating of a child is unlawful”.
TNS OBOP (2011), Social resonance of the amendment to the Act on Counteracting Domestic Violence, Ombudsman for
Children of the Republic of Poland
The report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in
Poland in 2011 found that in some police emergency centres for children, youth care centres and juvenile
detention centres young people were punished by being slapped, isolated, forbidden contact with their
families and forced to do physical exercise. The reports of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of
the National Preventive Mechanism in 2010, 2009 and 2008 had similar findings.
Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich (2012), Report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive
Mechanism in Poland in 2012
In a 2009 survey of 189 teachers in primary schools in Warsaw, 75% believed corporal punishment is
humiliating for the child, 71% believed it meant that “the parents are not good at rearing children”; 36%
felt that the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party, in comparison
to 20% in an identical survey with a similar sample in 2005. On average, respondents in 2009 estimated
that 61% of children in Poland experience “spanking” as punishment, compared to an average estimate of
72% in 2005. Of 1,000 respondents to a 2009 nationwide study, 38% believed corporal punishment
should not be used, compared to 35% in 2005.
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2009), Warsaw teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse: research report, www.canee.
net/files/Teachers%20studies%20Poland%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies
carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
A study on residential care for children found that a ninth of children in residential care had been
physically hurt by a caregiver.
The Nobody’s Children Foundation (2005), Being a child victim in residential care
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Qatar
A survey conducted in 2012 found 50% of children aged 2-14 were subjected to at least one form of
psychological aggression or physical punishment, with a slightly higher prevalence among Qatari children
(54%) than their non-Qatari counterparts (48%), and among older children (53% of children age 10-14)
than younger (47% of those age 2-4). Boys (38%) were more likely to be subjected to physical
punishment compared to girls (30%). Violent disciplining methods were found to be highest where the
head of the household was educated to primary level (65%) and lowest where the head of the household
had a university degree (45%). In contrast to the actual prevalence of physical punishment (35%), only
14% of respondents believed that children need to be physically punished. Forty per cent of children were
found to experience only non-violent disciplining methods.
Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (2014), Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2012, Doha, Qatar: Ministry
of Development Planning and Statistics
Republic of Korea
A study of 481 high school students, carried out in September and October 2011 and published in 2012 in
the journal of the Korea Institute of Criminology, found that 94.6% had experienced corporal punishment
at school, including being “spanked”, struck on the cheek and punched.
Reported in Asian Correspondent, 18 July 2012
A 2011 survey of 1,430 student teachers (783 training to be primary school teachers and 647 to be
secondary school teachers) found that 68% of primary student teachers and 62% of secondary student
teachers disagreed that any form of corporal punishment was unacceptable and 63% of primary student
teachers and 66.5% of secondary student teachers disagreed that corporal punishment should be banned
by law. Nearly half (47.6%) of primary student teachers and 58% of secondary student teachers agreed
“although a teacher cannot hit a school child with his/her open hand, it is acceptable to use a paddle”;
33.7% of primary student teachers and 37.1% of secondary student teachers agreed that “to maintain
order in a classroom, it is acceptable for a teacher to administer physical punishment upon the whole
class”. The vast majority of the students had experienced corporal punishment at school as children:
97.6% had been hit on the palms of their hands, 98.4% physically punished as part of a group, 85.3% hit
on the buttocks or thighs and 94.8% forced to kneel down.
Save the Children Korea (2011), Incorporating Children’s Rights Education into the Teacher Training Curriculum of South
Korea: A study on the teacher education curriculum, student-teachers’ awareness of children’s rights, and development of a
children’s rights education course
Government research into corporal punishment at middle and high schools showed a decline in
prevalence, with 6% experiencing it in 2006 compared with 40% in a similar survey by the Korean
Teachers and Education Workers’ Union in 2000. The research surveyed 1,160 students at 40 schools,
533 parents and 262 teachers. When asked if teachers listened to the student’s side of the story before
giving the punishment, 89% of teachers said “yes” while 88% of students and 92% of parents answered
“no”. Corporal punishment is given when students do not obey school rules, e.g. not finishing homework
or being late or absent from class.
Reported in The Korea Herald, 26 January 2007
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Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Republic of Korea involved 152 children (69 boys, 83 girls) from urban areas and 175 adults (32 men
and 143 women). Methods included research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey, sentence
completion, and discussions. Physical punishments mentioned by children in Republic of Korea included
slapping, whipping, beaten with a broomstick, punching, kicking, pinching, ear pulling. In the home
97.4% of children experienced physical punishment, 3% emotional punishment; in school 93.6%
experienced physical punishment, 6% emotional. Punishment in the home comprised 61% of all
punishments, followed by school, then after-school learning centres, playgrounds, and other locations
(street, friends’ houses, welfare centres). Punishment is most commonly inflicted by parents (45%),
teachers (24%) and other relatives (20%). In response to the statement “After I punish a child I feel
unhappy”, 16.6% of adults disagreed, 65.1% agreed, and 18.3% had no opinion.
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm: Save the Children Sweden
Republic of Kosovo
Research carried out in 2012, which involved 660 10-14 year olds attending eight schools, 70 parents and
70 teachers, found a high level of acceptance of corporal punishment of children by parents and teachers.
When asked whether parents hitting or beating children is justified, 80.5% said it is justified if a child
steals, 70.6% if a child is in danger of harming themselves and 58.2% if a child leaves the house without
telling their parent. Nearly six children in ten (59.7%) said that teachers hitting or beating a child is
justified if a child steals, 37.7% if the child leaves class without permission and 35.5% if a child is
disobedient towards a teacher. Fifty-nine per cent of children and 80% of parents said that teachers are
violent towards children.
Krasniqi, V. & Osmani, T. (2012), Research on Violence Against Children in Schools in Kosovo: Draft, Save the Children &
Social Research Kosova
Republic of Moldova
In a study involving 500 people aged 15 and over, 50% thought corporal punishment should never be
used – an increase from 37% in a similar survey in 2005; 73% of parents said they had “smacked” their
child (compared to 76% in a similar survey in 2010), 29% said they had beaten or hit them (66% in
2010), 19% said they had beaten them with a belt (26% in 2010) and 19% that they had slapped their
child on the face (46% in 2010).
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
In a 2009 survey of 206 teachers in primary schools in Chişinău, 68% believed corporal punishment is
humiliating for the child, 58% believed it meant that “the parents are not good at rearing children”; 51%
felt the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party. In an identical
survey of a similar sample in 2005, 40% believed this. In a 2009 nationwide study, 55% of respondents
believed corporal punishment should not be used, compared to 37% in 2005. In 2005, 11% of respondents
said corporal punishment “may be used if the parent believes it will be effective”; in 2009, 5% of
respondents said this.
National Center for Child Abuse Prevention & Nobody’s Children Foundation (2009), Chişinău teachers’ attitudes toward child
abuse www.canee.net/files/Teachers%20studies%20Moldova%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which
includes studies carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
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According to statistics from UNICEF, of girls and women aged 15-49, 21% think that a husband is
justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances; 23% of boys and men aged 15-49
believe this.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A study in 2004 by the Government in cooperation with UNICEF found that one in five parents threatens
his/her child with a beating and one in four beats the child. The same study showed that 86% of parents
believe that beating children makes them obey and respect them.
“Early Childhood Care and Development” study, reported in the second/third report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
(2008), para. 215
Research in 2005 and 2006 revealed that teachers in Moldova support the use of corporal punishment for
children for a variety of reasons: petty theft (67% of respondents), drinking alcohol (60.9%), telling lies
(49%), not coming home on time (49%), missing classes (49.7%), smoking (47.7%) and not obeying their
parents (40.4%).
Regional study carried out in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine and
Moldova, reported in the second/third report by the Government of Moldova to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
(2008), para. 217
In a public opinion poll in 2005, 97.6% of respondents thought that children are subjected to physical
punishment.
Poll by the National Centre for Child Abuse Prevention, reported in the second/third report to the Committee on the Rights of
the Child (2008), para. 216
In 2004, the Working Group on Development of Policies and Strategies in the Field of Small Children
Care and Development, supported by UNICEF, carried out a national study on children’s health,
education and experience of violence and abuse. Of the 4-7 year old children questioned, 58.4% reported
being beaten at home.
Reported in Government Response to UN Study on Violence Against Children Questionnaire, September 2005
According to a survey conducted in 2012, 76% of children had experienced some form of violent
“discipline” (psychological or physical punishment) in the month preceding the survey; 48% of children
had experienced physical punishment, which was more common for boys (51%) than girls (45%), and
notably so for younger children aged 2-9 years (52-59%) than older children aged 10-14 years (37%);
22% of children only experienced non-violent methods of discipline, slightly more common for girls
(23.6%) than boys (19.8%) and more common in the richest households (24.4%) compared to the poorest
(14.8%). In contrast to the actual prevalence of physical punishment (48%), only 15% of respondents
believed the child needs to be physically punished; this belief was more common in relation to boys
(17.2%) than girls (12.8%).
National Centre of Public Health & UNICEF (2014), Republic of Moldova Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2012: Final
Report, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova: National Centre of Public Health & UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Romania
A 2012 study found that fewer children reported experiencing corporal punishment from their parents
than in a similar study carried out in 2001. In 2001, 84% of children said their parents hit them with a
hand without leaving a mark; by 2012, this had fallen to 62%. In 2001, 29% of children reported being hit
with objects by their parents and 10% being hit so hard it left a mark. By 2012 these figures had fallen to
18% and 5% respectively. The study also found a decrease in parents’ use of verbal abuse: 22% of
children reported experiencing this in 2001, compared to 16% in 2012.
Save the Children Romania (2014), Child Neglect and Abuse: National Sociologic Study (English summary),Save the Children
& Child Protection Department, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly
A report on institutions, including psychiatric institutions and care facilities, in Romania found that
children with disabilities were kept in permanent restraints, including being tied to chairs, tied up with
bedsheets and kept in cribs.
Ahern, L. et al [n.d.], Hidden Suffering: Romania’s Segregation and Abuse of Infants and Children with Disabilities, Mental
Disability Rights International
A 2007 study included a nationally representative poll of 1,110 people and interviews with 155 teachers,
doctors, psychologists and other adults who worked with children. Seven in ten (70%) of the sample
polled and 92% of professionals interviewed were aware that Romanian legislation included “provisions
that forbid physical punishment and humiliating treatment of children”; 73% of the polled sample and
95% of professionals were aware that physical punishment and humiliating treatment of children were
banned in all environments, including schools and the home; 97% of professionals believed the law was
necessary in Romania; 82% of the sample felt that an information campaign for the public on child
protection legislation was “greatly needed” and 14% that it was needed to some extent; 90% of
professionals thought an information campaign for adults working with children was needed. The poll
asked people to define “humiliating treatment of children”. Of the 923 people who answered this
question, 60% referred to physical violence and 21% to psychological violence; 12% of the sample
interviewed said they were aware of children being treated violently in the families of friends or
neighbours.
Save the Children Romania (2007), Study on the Level of Awareness of Child Protection Legislation Among the General
Population and Experts
Russian Federation
In a poll of 1,600 people in 138 areas, conducted by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public
Opinion, 27% approved of flogging as a sentence for crime.
Reported in The Voice of Russia, 28 September 2012
A Human Rights Watch report based on visits to 10 orphanages and more than 200 interviews, including
with children and young people with disabilities currently and formerly living in institutions, documented
severe violent punishment of children by staff. Punishments included beating children; pouring cold water
over children’s heads; the use of physical restraints, including binding children to cribs or wheelchairs;
the frequent use of sedatives to control children; forced psychiatric hospitalization as punishment; forced
isolation; denial of contact with family members; threats of death, beatings, or psychiatric hospitalization;
insults; and humiliation.
Human Rights Watch (2014), Abandoned by the State: Violence, Neglect, and Isolation for Children with Disabilities in Russian
Orphanages, NY: Human Rights Watch
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Rwanda
A study which involved discussions with 22 parents, 12 children and nine teachers in one semi-rural and
one remote rural area found that the most common punishment in homes and schools was beating
children. Children were also punished by being denied food, shouted at, insulted, forced to do hard work,
burned, chased out of the house and not allowed to go to school.
Mina, E. (2013), Corporal and Degrading Punishment of Children in Rwanda: Promoting Positive Discipline at School and at
Home, Master Thesis, Freie Universität Berlin
A 2012 study of men’s childhood experiences of violence in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and
Rwanda, which involved men aged 18-59 living in urban settings, found a high prevalence of corporal
punishment in all six countries. In Rwanda, of the 2,204 men who participated, 60% reported having been
spanked or slapped by a parent in the home during childhood, 23% threatened with physical punishment
in the home and 29% humiliated by someone in their family in front of other people. Men who had
experienced violence, including corporal punishment, during childhood, were more likely to perpetrate
intimate partner violence, hold inequitable gender attitudes, be involved in fights outside the home or
robberies, pay for sex and experience low self-esteem and depression, and were less likely to participate
in domestic duties, communicate openly with their partners, attend pre-natal visits when their partner is
pregnant and/or take paternity leave.
Contreras, M. et al (2012), Bridges to Adulthood: Understanding the Lifelong Influence of Men's Childhood Experiences of
Violence, Analyzing Data from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, Washington DC: International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW) and Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Promundo
A 2012 study shows that on average 49% of Rwandan children (47% of boys and 52% of girls) had been
physically punished by their teacher in the week prior to the survey – experience varied widely across
schools so that this figure rose to over 63% if confined to half of the schools. In the home, 58% of boys
and 66% of girls reported that they were sometimes kicked/punched by an adult living with them; 46% of
boys and 50% of girls reported that they were sometimes hit with an object.
Pontalti, K. (2013), Plan Rwanda – School violence: A global preventable epidemic, University of Oxford
Samoa
According to a 2006 report, corporal punishment was widespread in the home and in schools. In the
home, punishments included “smacking” children, beating them with brooms, sticks and heavy objects
and throwing stones at them.
Government of Samoa & UNICEF (2006), Samoa: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women and Youth, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Office
In a survey conducted in 2013, 77% of adults said they "hit, smack, kick, pinch or dong children’s heads
or pull their ears", with 60.6% saying this is "to discipline and educate" the child; 51.4% of children said
an adult at home has hit, smacked, kicked, pinched or donged their heads or pulled their ears within the
past year; 46.9% said this has not happened. In schools, 41% of children said a teacher has physically hurt
them in the past year (most often when the child did not do their homework), but an unusually high
number of "don’t know" responses suggests this number may actually be higher. In contrast to its
prevalence, only 0.2% of responses from adults, children and community and religious leaders stated that
hitting and smacking children is one of the best ways to discipline children.
UNICEF & AusAid (2013), Child Protection Baseline Report for Samoa, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Saudi Arabia
Adults Before Their Time: Children in Saudi Arabia’s Criminal Justice System is one of a series of reports
published by Human Rights Watch following an examination of the criminal justice system during the
first fact-finding visit to Saudi Arabia by an international human rights organisation. Interviews with
Saudi officials, detainees, lawyers and families revealed that judges regularly try children without the
presence of lawyers or sometimes even guardians, even for crimes punishable by death, flogging, or
amputation. Flogging is a very common sentence for crimes and there is no minimum age for corporal
punishment. Corporal punishment is also used in detention centres for both girls and boys. The report
calls on Saudi Arabia to adopt a written penal code and to prohibit all corporal punishment of persons
under 18 at the time of the offence.
Human Rights Watch (2008), Adults Before Their Time: Children in Saudi Arabia’s Criminal Justice System, www.hrw.
org/en/reports/2008/03/24/adults-their-time-0
Senegal
Eighty per cent of children involved in a 2012 study by Plan International said teachers were the main
perpetrators of violence in schools.
Plan International West Africa (2012), Because I am a Girl 2012 Research: Overall Report – Girls’ Retention and Performance
in Primary and Secondary Education: Makers and Breakers, Dakar: Plan International West Africa, cited in Greene, M. et al
(2012), A Girl’s Right to Learn Without Fear: Working to End Gender-Based Violence at School, Toronto: Plan Canada
A report by Human Rights Watch documented physical punishment and other severe violations of the
rights of at least 50,000 children (talibés), mostly boys under 12, attending residential Quranic schools in
Senegal. The children, who were forced by the teachers who serve as their guardians (marabouts) to beg
on the streets, experienced severe physical punishment including being beaten with electric cables or
clubs for not bringing back the quota of money and food set by the marabouts.
Human Rights Watch (2010), Off the Backs of the Children: Forced Begging and Other Abuses against Talibés in Senegal
A 2010 African Child Policy Forum report on violence against children with disabilities in Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia documented a very high level of violence. Nearly a thousand 18
-24 year olds took part in the study across the five countries, reporting on their experiences as children. In
Senegal, 60% had experienced at least one type of physical violence during their childhood. The most
commonly experienced physical violence was being hit, punched, kicked or beaten, followed by being
choked, burnt or stabbed. The most common perpetrators of physical violence were mothers (20.5%) and
fathers (15.8%). Across the five countries, 23% of the young people said they had experienced physical
violence which was “mostly discipline, reasonable and justified”, 27% physical violence which was
“mostly discipline but not reasonable or justified”; 26% said they had experienced emotional violence
which was “discipline, but not reasonable or justified”, 22% emotional violence that was “disciplinary,
reasonable and justified”. Across all five countries, 54% of those who had been physically beaten said
they had suffered broken bones, teeth, bleeding or bruising; 2% had been permanently disabled; 21%
required medical attention; 13% had to miss school or work, and 20% had needed rest at home. For all
five countries, the majority of respondents with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities experienced
physical violence more than 10 times. The report recommends prohibition of all corporal punishment,
including in the home, as a way to minimise the risk of violence against children with disabilities.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Violence Against Children With Disabilities in Africa: Field Studies from Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
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A study by the African Child Policy Forum in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Nigeria and Senegal found that hitting, beating and forced hard work were the most prevalent
forms of violence against girls, and that most of the physical violence experienced by girls was corporal
punishment. The study involved a survey of 3,025 young women (nearly 600 per country) aged 18-24
about the violence they had experienced in their childhood. In Senegal, 52% had been hit during their
childhood, 79% beaten, 21% kicked, 25% denied food and 16% choked or burned. Parents and close
relatives were the most common perpetrators of physical violence.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Childhood Scars in Africa: A Retrospective Study on Violence Against Girls in Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
65% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Serbia
In research with young people carried out in 2012 by the Youth Advisors Panel of the Deputy
Ombudsperson for Children, more than 80% of participants thought children can be taught how to behave
without beatings and beating can harm both the body and the personality of a child; 63% thought corporal
punishment makes children afraid rather than teaching them to understand. Eighty per cent said they
would learn better from their parents explaining to them why something should not be done than from
being beaten; 82% said that if they become parents, they would not physically punish their own children.
Youth Advisors Panel of the Deputy Ombudsperson for Children (2012), The attitudes of children and youth towards corporal
punishment and positive parenting practices, Ombudsman Office of the Republic of Serbia
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 67.1% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than a third (37.4%)
experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage (7.2%) of mothers and caregivers
thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Sixty per cent of children experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted), 1.6% experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement).
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (2011), Republic of Serbia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011, Final Report,
Belgrade: Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 75% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Fifty-five per cent experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(11%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also very widely used, experienced by 90% of children. Eight per cent of children were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement); 64% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Children living in households with adults with a higher average level of education were less
likely to experience violent discipline than those living with less educated adults. No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, age, household size
or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 5% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were
hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the
home in the month prior to the survey, compared with 8% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
A report on institutions in Serbia found that, as there are no enforceable laws or regulations regulating the
use of physical restraints and no oversight, children with disabilities were kept in restraints for days,
weeks or years. Restraint was used for the convenience of staff and included being tied to beds, chairs and
cribs.
Ahern, L. et al (2007), Torment not Treatment: Serbia’s Segregation and Abuse of Children and Adults with Disabilities, Mental
Disability Rights International
In a study of children in six state residential care institutions, 26% of children reported experiencing
physical violence at least once from a member of staff; 17% of adults working in these institutions
reported that some of their colleagues were violent towards the children.
Plut, D. & Popadić, D. (2007), U lavirintu nasilja – istraživanje nasilja u ustanovama za decu bez roditeljskog staranja u
Srbiji, Beograd: Save the Children UK & Institut za psihologiju, reported in Srna, J. & Stevanović, I. (2011), “Serbia: Moving
Towards the Abolition of Physical Punishment of Children”, in Durrant, J. E. & Smith, A. B. (eds) (2011), Global Pathways to
Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, New York: Routledge, pp. 222-233
A 2006 study surveyed nearly 27,000 children aged 9-15 and 4,000 adults including teachers, secretaries,
and technical and security staff in 50 schools. Almost a third (32%) of children said they had experienced
violence from a teacher in the past three months, 5% saying they had experienced it several times and
even daily; 17% reported that a teacher had hit them or pulled their hair or ears at least once, 24% had
experienced verbal aggression from a teacher, and 8% had been threatened by a teacher in the past three
months.
Plut, D. & Popadic, D. (2006), School Without Violence: towards the safe and enabling environment for children, Belgrade:
UNICEF & Institute of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade
In a 2014 UNICEF study, 43.1% of children age 1-14 years reported being subjected to some form of
violent “discipline” by household members: 39% experienced psychological aggression and about 17%
experienced physical punishment. This was notably higher for younger children (25% of 1-2 year-olds)
than older children (8% of 10-14 year-olds), and in households where the head of the household has no
education (24%) compared to those where the head of household has higher education (13%). Physical
punishment is considered necessary to properly raise a child by 7% of respondents; this figure rose to
11% for respondents in Roma settlements. The prevalence of corporal punishment is also higher in Roma
settlements, with 66% of children age 1-14 years subjected to some form of violent punishment by
household members; 63% of children experienced psychological aggression and about 35% experienced
physical punishment.
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and UNICEF (2014), Serbia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and Serbia Roma
Settlements Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2014, Final Reports, Belgrade, Serbia: Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia
and UNICEF
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Sierra Leone
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 81.7% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Sixty-five per cent
experienced physical punishment, 18.8% severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face,
head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement) and 74.4%% psychological aggression (being
shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Statistics Sierra Leone & UNICEF-Sierra Leone (2011), Sierra Leone Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010, Final Report,
Freetown: Statistics Sierra Leone & UNICEF-Sierra Leone
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 92% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Nearly eight in ten experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(56%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 93% of children. One quarter of children experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), 83% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Children aged 10-14 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than younger children
(94% of 10-14 year olds compared to 88% of 2-4 year olds and 93% of 5-9 year olds). Children living in
households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent
discipline than those living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s experience
of violent discipline were found according to sex, household size or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, children with disabilities were more likely to
experience severe physical punishment: 24% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on
the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the home in the month
prior to the survey, compared with 21% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Singapore
Research by the Singapore Children’s Society, published in October 2006, examined parents’ childrearing
and children’s views of it. Over 1,000 interviews were conducted with 533 parents (248 fathers, 285
mothers) and 533 children aged 10-12 years (262 boys and 271 girls) covering different ethnic groups,
mostly middle-income families. Reasoning was considered the most effective disciplinary practice by
both parents and children, but physical punishment was also used. Mothers tended to inflict physical
punishment more frequently than fathers, though both regarded it as ineffective. Children were reported
as “neutral” about both its effectiveness and its fairness.
Shan, S-C. H. et al (2006), The Parenting Project: Disciplinary practices, childcare arrangements and parenting practices in
Singapore, Singapore Children’s Society
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Slovenia
In a 2005 survey of a representative sample of adult citizens of Slovenia on family violence, 33.1% knew
at least one family in which slapping a child was a normal form of punishment (7.6% knew one family,
6.7% two families and 18.8% more than two families). Nearly a quarter (23.9%) thought children were
frequently smacked on the bottom, 6.1% that children were frequently smacked on the mouth.
Research cited in Government of Slovenia (2013), Opinion of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the first paragraph of
Article 7 of the Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter Providing for a System of Collective Complaints, Ljubljana:
Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
A study carried out in 2004-2005 which involved 1,223 parents of children aged 9-10 and 13-14 and 137
children in the same age-groups found that corporal punishment was widespread. Over a third (37%) of
the 9-10 year olds and 39% of the 13-14 year olds had been physically punished. The younger children
said they were punished for “naughtiness”, “disobedience” or “teasing”, while the older children said they
were punished for no reason. Over two thirds of the parents had been beaten as children, 43.2% slapped;
36.3% believed that the corporal punishment they experienced was “educational” for them. Fifty-one per
cent of parents said their child never experienced corporal punishment, 33.5% said they experienced it
once a year, 11.4% once a month, 1.7% once a week and 0.4% once a day. Nearly half (48.7%) of the
parents said they hit their children with a hand, 8.4% pulled their hair, 2.5% hit them with an object and
1.8% drenched them with water; 48.4% of parents thought it acceptable to use corporal punishment if a
child destroys their own or others’ property, 51.6% if a child endangers someone else, 44.3% if a child
endangers him- or herself and around 28% if a child “behaves inappropriately”. Thirty-six per cent of
parents were in favour of prohibition of all corporal punishment, 30% opposed it and 33% were
undecided.
Kornhauser, P. (2007), Youth without corporal punishment for our children, Ljubljana: Forum Against Corporal Punishment of
Children in the Family
Solomon Islands
In a study carried out in 2008, 72% of the 272 adults involved said they sometimes hit, smacked, pinched,
kicked or flicked children or pulled or twisted their ears; 17% of the 275 16-17 year olds involved said
they had experienced this from an adult at home in the past month. When 7-11 year olds were asked about
which actions they don’t like at home, adults hitting children was the most common response (given by
32% of the children). Seventy per cent of interviewees working in education said teachers in their school
sometimes hit, smacked, pinched, kicked or knocked children or pulled or twisted their ears.
UNICEF & AusAid (2009), Protect me with love and care: A Baseline Report for creating a future free from violence, abuse
and exploitation of girls and boys in the Solomon Islands, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 72% of children aged 2-14 years old
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) the home in the
month prior to the survey, carried out in 2005-2006.
UNICEF (2011), The State of the World’s Children, Table 9: Child Protection, NY: UNICEF, www.unicef.org/sowc
South Africa
According to Government statistics published in 2014, 13.5% of school students experienced corporal
punishment at school in 2013. School corporal punishment was most prevalent in Eastern Cape
(experienced by 24.1% of school students), KwaZulu‐Natal (22.2%) and Free State (16.6%).
Statistics South Africa (2014), General Household Survey 2013, Pretoria: Statistics South Africa
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During the 2012-2013 financial year, the South African Council of Educators received 182 complaints
about school corporal punishment.
South African Council of Educators (2013), Annual Report 2012-2013, Centurion: SACE
During the 2012-2013 financial year, the South African Human Rights Commission received 125
allegations of corporal punishment in schools, compared to 117 allegations during the 2011-2012
financial year.
Reported in IOL News, 22 July 2013
The 2012 National School Violence Study revealed the continued use of physical punishment within
South African schools. Overall, a total of 49.8% of the 5,939 learners surveyed had been caned or
spanked by an educator or principal. This percentage was up from 47.5% in 2008, suggesting that little
headway had been made in reducing corporal punishment in schools. Provincial rates of corporal
punishment ranged from 22.4% to 73.7%, with the highest levels of corporal punishment in KwaZuluNatal (73.7%).
Burton, P. & Leoschut, L. (2013), School Violence in South Africa: Results of the 2012 National School Violence Study, Cape
Town: The Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention
The 2011-2012 annual report of the South African Council for Educators (SACE) reported that 174 cases
of corporal punishment were reported to SACE in 2011-2012, compared with 100 cases in 2010-2011.
South African Council for Educators (2012), Annual Report 2011-2012: Promoting Excellence in the Teaching Profession,
Centurion: SACE
The Statistics SA General Household Survey 2011, which involved 30,000 households between July and
September 2011, found that 17% of students in South Africa had experienced corporal punishment at
school in the past year. The highest percentage of students experiencing corporal punishment was in the
Eastern Cape, where there was an increase from 23% in 2010 to 30% in 2011. In Limpopo, the percentage
of students experiencing corporal punishment rose from 9% in 2010 to 19% in 2011. In the Northern
Cape, North West and Gauteng, the percentage of students experiencing corporal punishment declined
since 2010. The lowest percentage of students experiencing corporal punishment was in the Western Cape
(4%).
Statistics South Africa (2012), General household survey 2011, Pretoria: Statistics South Africa
A survey by Statistics SA revealed that the use of corporal punishment in schools declined overall
between 2009 and 2010, from 17% of students experiencing corporal punishment in 2009 to 14% in 2010.
However, in some areas the use of corporal punishment increased: in the Northern Cape, from 5.6% to
17.5%, and in the North West, from 12.7% to 21.7%.
Reported in “Disturbing rise in corporal punishment – survey”, News24, 5 May 2011, www.news24.com
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In 2008 the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention released its report on the National Schools Violence
Study, which provides a baseline from which to monitor school violence in the future. Over 12,000
students took part in the survey, as well as nearly 800 principals and educators at 245 primary and
secondary schools. The study found that, despite prohibition in schools, 71% of primary school children
and 47.5% of secondary school children experienced corporal punishment. Rates of corporal punishment
varied by province, with 90% of primary school educators or principals in the Northern Cape using
corporal punishment, 81% in Limpopo and 78% in the Eastern Cape. Secondary school principals and
educators were most likely to use corporal punishment in the Free State (61.8%), Gauteng (61%) and the
Eastern Cape (58.5%). The report notes a strong correlation in provinces between high rates of corporal
punishment and use of violence by students. Almost half (47.3%) of primary school children suffered
corporal punishment in the home. Students who experienced corporal punishment at home were more
likely to report experiencing violence at school than those who did not experience corporal punishment at
home.
Burton, P. (2008), Merchants, Skollies and Stones: Experiences of School Violence in South Africa, Cape Town: Centre for
Justice and Crime Prevention, www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/NSVS-final-internet-ready.pdf, accessed 1 July 2010
The National Youth Victimisation Study released in May 2006 by the Centre for Justice and Crime
Prevention reported on a survey of 4,409 young people aged between 12 and 22 years which found that
nationally 51.4% of children continue to be subjected to corporal punishment in schools, with the lowest
prevalence being 17% in the Western Cape. The survey also found that around a quarter of the youth live
in a home where domestic violence between caregivers or parents is common.
Reported in “Corporal punishment still rife in classrooms despite being banned”, Cape Times, 11 May 2006
The General Household Survey 2014 shows that 13.5% of children attending school in South Africa
experienced corporal punishment, despite a ban. Regionally, corporal punishment at school was found to
be most prevalent in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with 21% of school-going children
experiencing corporal punishment; this figure was at 12% in Limpopo, 11% in the Free State and the
Northern Cape, 10% in North West, 5.8% in Mpumalanga, 3.3% in Gauteng and 2.8% in the Western
Cape.
Statistics South Africa (2015), General Household Survey 2014, Pretoria: Statistics South Africa
Nationally, 244 complaints of misconduct for corporal punishment were filed against educators between
April 2014 and February 2015 (out of a total of 525 complaints of misconduct).
Parliamentary response, reported in “Tardy pupils ‘beaten with pipes’”, IOL News, 29 June 2015, www.iol.co.za
The number of complaints relating to corporal punishment in South African schools has increased in the
past two years, despite being outlawed. The South African Council of Educators (SACE) received 245
reports of corporal punishment against teachers in the 2014-2015 financial year, compared to 202
reported cases in 2013-2014. The organisation has conducted 36 investigations in the last year, all of
which resulted in disciplinary hearings; 30 teachers were convicted for administering corporal
punishment while the rest received advisory notes or letters. It is unclear whether corporal punishment or
reporting of it is on the rise, as more people become aware of SACE and its functions.
Reported in “Corporal punishment rising”, The New Age, 17 September 2015, http://thenewage.co.za/
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South Sudan
Research by World Vision in 2006 in a number of states in Southern Sudan found that corporal
punishment of children in schools and families is a daily experience for the majority of children.
Information provided in correspondence with the Global Initiative, May 2008
Spain
A 2009 study by the Defensor del Pueblo (ombudsman) of centres for children without parental care
found that “disciplinary regimes” varied widely between centres. While some centres applied positive
disciplinary techniques, others relied more on punitive sanctions. In some centres, punishments included
tying two children together, preventing children from attending school and isolating children. The report
recommends increased regulation at a regional level and states that regulations must not directly or
indirectly provide for corporal punishment or other types of punishment which violate children’s rights.
Defensor del Pueblo (2009), Centros de Protección de Menores con Trastornos de Conducta y en Situación de Difficultad
Social
A study carried out in 2007 examined five European countries: Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Five thousand parents (1,000 in each nation) were interviewed about their use of and attitude
towards corporal punishment, their own experiences of violence and their knowledge and beliefs about
the law. More than half (55%) the Spanish parents said they had “mildly” slapped their child on the face,
80% on the bottom; 31% had given their child a “resounding” slap on the face, 6.7% had beaten their
child with an object. Sixteen per cent of Spanish parents never used corporal punishment; 84% agreed
“one should try to use as little corporal punishment as possible”, and 85% agreed that “non-violent childrearing is the ideal”.
Bussmann, K. D. (2009), The Effect of Banning Corporal Punishment in Europe: A Five-Nation Comparison, Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg
Research in 2004 by the National Social Research Centre found that 25.6% of adults believed it necessary
to smack children to impose discipline, with 74.4% believing it unnecessary.
Reported in International Save the Children Alliance (2005), Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment
of Children – Making it Happen: Global Submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Save
the Children Sweden
In a 2004 study involving questionnaires with 119 children aged 7-15, 46% said that it is never necessary
to hit a child to educate him or her, 41% that it is sometimes necessary and 4% that it is necessary to hit a
child many times. One child in five (21%) thought that it is never necessary to shout, 68% that it is
sometimes necessary and 2% that it is necessary many times. Almost half of the children thought that
mothers (47%) and fathers (46%) have the right to hit and shout at their child, while 14% felt that
grandparents have this right and 17% brothers and sisters. Five per cent of children thought that teachers
have the right to hit and shout at a child. Children said that physical and humiliating punishment made
them feel pain (61%), sadness (60%), anger (39%), fear (37%), guilt (32%), loneliness (12%) and
indifference. Children were asked which punishments were most harmful and said that denying a child
food was the most harmful and physical punishment was the second most harmful.
Reported in International Save the Children Alliance (2005), Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment
of Children - Making it Happen: Global Submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Save
the Children Sweden
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According to a consultation carried out by Save the Children Spain in the years following the campaign
“Educate, do not punish”, public support for physical and psychological punishment fell from 47% to
27%.
Reported by Save the Children Spain, March 2005
Sri Lanka
A study involving 194 parents living in Colombo found that 76.3% had physically punished their child in
the past month by shaking them, hitting them on the bottom with an object or bare hand, slapping them,
pinching them, pulling their ear or hair or hitting them on the head; 40.7% had kicked, choked, beaten,
burned, threatened with a weapon, thrown, knocked down, punched or hit their child anywhere other than
their bottom with an object in the past month. Nearly 90% had used psychological aggression such as
threatening or insulting their child in the past month; nearly 80% had used non-violent discipline
strategies such as explaining why something was wrong. When asked about their attitude to corporal
punishment, 30% said they were completely against it and a similar number said they were completely for
it. After taking part in a two-hour information and discussion session in which they were given
information about the negative effects of corporal punishment on children and about alternative discipline
strategies, the rates of psychological aggression and corporal punishment declined significantly.
De Zoysa, P. (2013), A Study on Parental Disciplinary Practices and an Awareness Program to Reduce Corporal Punishment
and Other Forms of Negative Parental Practices, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Child Protection in Crisis, Institute for Participatory
Interaction in Development & Save the Children
A study involving 1,226 children with an average age of 12 found that 52.3% were physically punished
by their parents at least weekly, and 70% had been physically punished by their parents in the past year.
On average, the children had experienced physical punishment 12 times during the past year. The most
common form of physical punishment was being pulled by the ear.
De Zoysa P. et al (2006), “The prevalence of Sri Lankan children's experience of parental physical punishment and their
attitudes towards its use”, in Behera D. K. (ed), Childhoods in South Asia, New Delhi: Pearson Education
A study on institutional care in Sri Lanka found that corporal punishment and other cruel treatment
occurred sometimes in institutions. The study recommended that corporal punishment of children in care
be banned.
Save the Children in Sri Lanka (2005), Home Truths: Children's Rights in Institutional Care in Sri Lanka
St Lucia
In a study involving 580 11-17 year olds, carried out by young people as part of St Lucia’s first NGO
report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, 86% said physical punishment was used on students at
their school: 39.1% “always”, 40.2% “sometimes”, 6.9% “rarely”. The report recommends banning
corporal punishment.
Road to Geneva Child Rights Research & Advocacy project team (2011), Who Feels it Knows it: Children’s Rights in St. Lucia
Through The Eyes of Children & Youth
A UNICEF study of child vulnerability in Barbados, St Vincent and St Lucia, completed in November
2006, found that younger girls and boys were much more likely to be punished than their teenage siblings
in all three countries. The number of small children who received no punishment was below 50% in all
countries. Overall, younger children, both girls and boys, were more likely to be subjected to corporal
punishment, such as spanking, slapping or hitting with the hand or an object.
UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Government of Barbados, Government of St. Lucia & Government of
St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2006), A Study of Child Vulnerability in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & The Grenadines,
Barbados: UNICEF
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According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2012, 68% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Forty-four per cent experienced physical punishment and 60% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (21%) of mothers
and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
St Vincent and the Grenadines
A UNICEF study of child vulnerability in Barbados, St Vincent and St Lucia, completed in November
2006, found that younger girls and boys were much more likely to be punished than their teenage siblings
in all three countries. The number of small children who received no punishment was below 50% in all
countries. Overall, younger children, both girls and boys, were more likely to be subjected to corporal
punishment, such as spanking, slapping or hitting with the hand or an object.
UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Government of Barbados, Government of St. Lucia & Government of
St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2006), A Study of Child Vulnerability in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & The Grenadines,
Barbados: UNICEF
State of Palestine
A booklet containing testimony from Israeli soldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
between 2005 and 2011 documents Palestinian children being beaten, kicked, shackled, blindfolded,
threatened with guns, shot and killed on the street and in police and army custody.
Breaking the Silence (2012), Children and Youth: Soldiers’ Testimonies 2005-2011, Breaking the Silence
A report based on the sworn testimony of 311 children held in Israeli military detention between January
2008 and January 2012 documented systematic ill-treatment of children during their arrest, transfer and
interrogation. Sixty-three per cent of the children were detained inside Israel; 95% had their hands tied,
often very painfully, 90% were blindfolded. Three quarters experienced physical violence such as being
pushed, slapped or kicked, 57% experienced threats and 54% verbal violence. In 12% of cases children
reported being held in solitary confinement for an average of 11 days. The report found that when the
totality of the evidence was considered, the pattern of systematic ill-treatment which emerges, amounts to
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and in some cases, torture, as defined in the UN
Convention against Torture.
DCI Palestine (2012), Bound, Blindfolded and Convicted: Children held in military detention
Research which included a survey with 306 students in three schools and focus groups with 88 students,
teachers, counsellors and principals found that 36.6% of students had often seen a teacher hit students or
been hit themselves: 37.6% reported that this happened sometimes, 25.7% rarely. A fifth (22.2%) had
heard a teacher insult students or been insulted themselves often, 30.6% sometimes and 47.1% rarely.
Riyada Consulting and Training (2010), Level of Violence in UNRWA Schools in the West Bank – Protective Sphere for
Palestinian Children, Save the Children UK
A 2009 report by Defence for Children International – Palestine Section documented widespread and
systematic violations of the rights of Palestinian children in Israeli custody in the occupied Palestinian
territory, including corporal punishment. Children reported being kicked, hit, beaten with guns and tied
up.
DCI-Palestine (2009), Palestinian Child Prisoners: The systematic and institutionalised ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian
children by Israeli authorities
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
In research on violence in educational settings which involved 1,723 children in 15 schools in five
districts in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, 80% of students in school grades 1-3, 15% in grades 4-6
and 30% in grades 7-10 said they were “exposed to beating” at school.
MaDad (2009), Protective Sphere for Palestinian Children Project: Executive Summary – the Participatory Action Research
report, Save the Children UK
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 95% of children aged 2-14 experienced
physical punishment and/or psychological aggression in 2005-2006: 70% experienced physical
punishment and psychological aggression, 3% psychological aggression only and 2% physical
punishment only.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
In a survey of 679 parents in the south of the Gaza Strip in 2007, nearly 100% admitting to inflicting
corporal punishment and/or verbal punishment on their children.
Survey results conducted during the “Community-Based Child Protection” project, Al Shoka, South Gaza Strip, Palestinian
Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution and SCS (2007), on file at the DCI-Palestine Ramallah office, reported in Trojan,
V. (2008), Child Rights Situation Analysis: Right to Protection in the occupied Palestinian territory – 2008,
Ramallah/Jerusalem: DCI-Palestine/Save the Children Sweden
Figures published by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2005 showed that over 50% of
mothers supported the use of corporal punishment when children misbehave.
Information on file at the DCI-Palestine Ramallah office, reported in Trojan, V. (2008), Child Rights Situation Analysis: Right
to Protection in the occupied Palestinian territory – 2008, Ramallah/Jerusalem: DCI-Palestine/Save the Children Sweden
A study by the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture and Organized Violence on
violence in public and private schools in the West Bank found that of 2,331 students surveyed (aged 14
-17), 50.8% reported having been beaten by a schoolteacher. Only 0.6% said teachers are never violent
towards students. The study also asked about being beaten at home: 43.6% said they or their siblings were
beaten by their father, 47.5% by their mother.
Sehwail, M. et al (2005), The phenomenon of Violence as perceived by Palestinian school pupils aged (14-17 years); (8-11
grade), at the schools of the public and private sectors in the West Bank, Palestine, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for
Victims of Torture and Organized Violence
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2010, 93% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Three quarters experienced physical punishment and 90% experienced psychological aggression
(being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (21%) of mothers and
caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
The Domestic Violence Survey carried out in 2005/6 found that 27.9% of women agreed that a husband
should beat his wife if she left the house without asking, 10.5% agreed that a husband should beat his
wife if she fails to prepare the food on time. The report documented high “exposure” to violence at home
by children, although it did not directly address corporal punishment by parents.
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2006), Domestic Violence Survey (December, 2005 – January, 2006): Main Findings
Report, Ramallah, Palestine
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A survey carried out in 2014 by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with Ministry
of Health, as part of the global MICS programme found 92% of children age 1-14 years had been
subjected to at least one form of psychological or physical punishment by household members during the
month preceding the survey. About 74% of children had experienced physical punishment and 23%
severe physical punishment (hitting the child on the head, ears or face or hitting the child hard and
repeatedly), which was more common for boys (27%) than girls (19%). Only 6% of children had
experienced only non-violent forms of discipline.
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2015), Palestinian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014, Final Report, Ramallah,
Palestine: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Sudan
According to a 2014 Human Rights Watch report, girls and women continue to be subjected to judicial
flogging and other humiliating punishments.
Human Rights Watch (2014), World Report 2014, NY: Human Rights Watch
Research by Save the Children Sweden in Sudan looked at children’s experiences of physical punishment
at home and in school. Two reformatories and custody centres were also visited. In schools, reasons for
being beaten by teachers included late arrival (41.1%) and failure to complete homework or recite
Koranic verses (45.1%); of children at Koranic schools, 89% gave the main reason for corporal
punishment as imperfect recitation of Koranic verses. In the home, reasons included disobedience
(35.6%), persistent demands (28.4%) and making loud noises (24%); 89% of interviewed parents
believed corporal punishment to be the best technique for achieving desirable behaviour in their children.
The most common form of corporal punishment by teachers and parents was reported by the children as
whipping (87%). Almost half (48.1%) the children said they would not use corporal punishment on
children when they were older, but 37.9% intended to use it. The children reported experiencing corporal
punishment as very painful (35.6%) and embarrassing (5.8%). The punishment also invoked fear of
teachers or parents (16.3%), weakness (9.8%), lack of respect for the person inflicting the punishment
(8.6%) and hatred of the people and the setting where the punishment was carried out (12.3%). In the
reformatories and custody centres visited, 65% of juvenile offenders said they had received corporal
punishment at some stage of the juvenile justice process; 87% of those interviewed while in custody said
they had been beaten by police to obtain a confession. Children with a variety of disabilities (including
deafness, blindness, and other physical and mental disabilities) were asked for their views on corporal
punishment: 43% of children with mental disabilities said it was bad to be beaten by anybody. They said
they felt distressed and sad when somebody beat them.
Save the Children Sweden (2005), Ending Physical and Psychological Punishment against Children: Sudan, Ethiopia: Save the
Children Sweden
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Suriname
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 86% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Sixty-two per cent experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage
(17%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 95% of children. One child in ten experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement), 81% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children
living in households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience
violent discipline than those living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s
experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, age, household size or engagement in child
labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 9% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were
hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the
home in the month prior to the survey, compared to 8% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
The Child Rights Bureau, a department within the Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Housing,
conducted a study between 2009 and 2010 on children’s knowledge and perceptions on child rights in 5
districts of Suriname (Paramaribo, Wanica, Commewijne, Nickerie and Brokopondo). The 639
respondents comprised of children aged 6–18 years, adults and service providers. The results show 59%
of children, 74% of adults and 89% of service providers do not believe corporal punishment is an
effective means to behavioural change. Despite this view, 83% of children, 69% of adults and 62% of
service providers believe that corporal punishment may be justified in certain cases, especially in the
home; acceptance is lower for corporal punishment at school. Corporal punishment is perceived as a form
of abuse by 46% of children, 58% of adults and 67% of service providers.
Reported in Third and fourth periodic report of States Parties due in 2010: Suriname (CRC/C/SUR/3-4), 4 May 2015
Swaziland
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 88.9% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey; 82.1% of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Two thirds (66%) of children
experienced physical punishment; 11.7% experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped
on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement), and 82.1% experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Central Statistical Office & UNICEF (2011), Swaziland Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010: Final Report, Mbabane:
Central Statistical Office & UNICEF
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A large scale survey by Save the Children in 2005 looked at the experiences over a two week period of
corporal punishment of 2,366 children aged 6-18 years from all of Swaziland’s four regions. Children
revealed being subjected to high levels of corporal punishment in the home and at school: 18% reported
being hit with the hand in the home during the period, 28% beaten with objects such as sticks, belts,
sjamboks and whips. Boys were punished for such behaviour as breaking or stealing things, not tending
livestock properly, playing instead of working, or playing out too late. Young children, particularly girls,
were punished in connection with household chores. In school during the two weeks, 28% of children
reported being hit with a hand, 59% beaten with an object, most often sticks, canes, sjamboks and
blackboard dusters. Other punishments included physical labour or physical (and often humiliating)
activities causing pain and discomfort. Children reported experiencing humiliating punishment (35% in
the home, 28% in school), in addition to experiencing corporal punishment itself as humiliating.
Generally, corporal punishment was more commonly used in low income environments and on younger
children. 77% of children considered corporal punishment to be unacceptable in the home and in school;
81% felt humiliating punishment unacceptable. The study also involved qualitative research with 384
children from the regions.
Clacherty, G. et al (2005), Children’s Experiences of Corporal Punishment in Swaziland, Pretoria: Save the Children Sweden
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
38% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Sweden
A 2011 study which involved 2,500 parents of children aged 0-12 and 3,207 15-16 year olds, and was
designed to follow up on similar studies carried out in 1980, 2000 and 2006, found that 92% of parents
thought it was wrong to beat or slap a child. About 3% of parents had struck their child at some point
during the past year, compared to 28% in 1980; 14% of 15-16 year olds said they had been hit by their
parents at least once in their lifetime. Children with disabilities or chronic health problems were twice as
likely to be beaten as children without disabilities. The study found no evidence that parents were
replacing physical punishments with other humiliating punishments – rather, there was a strong
connection between violent punishment and other humiliating treatment of children. The study examined
various risk factors for experiencing corporal punishment and found that violence between adults in the
family was the greatest risk factor: children in families where there was violence between adults were ten
times as likely to be physically punished as children in families where there was no violence between
adults.
Janson, S. et al (2012), Corporal punishment and other humiliating behaviour towards children in Sweden – a national study
2011, Children’s Welfare Foundation & University of Karlstad
A survey of 1,697 students aged 12-16 found that 76.7% thought “a child should never be corporally
punished”; 9.7% thought “a child can be corporally punished using mild forms of punishment (e.g.
smacking)”. More than eight in ten (83.8%) disagreed that “parents have a right to use mild forms of
corporal punishment on their children (e.g. smacking)”, and 93.6% agreed “children must be protected
from all forms of violence”.
UNICEF (2011), Nordic Study on Child Rights to Participate 2009-2010, Innolink Research
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Sweden, none of the boys or girls had experienced severe
corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears; beating the child repeatedly
with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month, and none of the parents believed it
was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child. Nine per cent of girls and 6% of boys
had experienced “mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or
slapping on the hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object) by someone in their household in the
past month.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A study carried out in 2007 examined five European countries: Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Five thousand parents (1,000 in each nation) were interviewed about their use of and attitude
towards corporal punishment, their own experiences of violence and their knowledge and beliefs about
the law: 14% of Swedish parents said they had “mildly” slapped their child on the face, 17% on the
bottom; 4% had given their child a “resounding” slap on the face, and 1.8% had beaten their child with an
object. Over three quarters (76%) never used corporal punishment; 88% agreed “one should try to use as
little corporal punishment as possible”, and 93% agreed that “non-violent child-rearing is the ideal”.
Bussmann, K. D. (2009), The Effect of Banning Corporal Punishment in Europe: A Five-Nation Comparison, Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg
A 2009 review of the thirty years since the legislation was introduced showed that there has been a
consistent decline in the use of physical punishment and the number of adults who are in favour of it. In
the 1970s, around half of children were smacked regularly; this fell to around a third in the 1980s, and
just a few per cent after 2000. Children who are still smacked experience this less often; 1.5% experience
physical punishment with an implement. The reporting of cases of assault on children has increased since
the 1980s, reflecting less tolerance within society for violence towards children. The review also notes
that in 1981, just two years after the law was introduced, over 90% of Swedish families were aware of the
prohibition on corporal punishment. The change in legislation was accompanied by a large public
awareness campaign, with pamphlets distributed to every household with children and information
printed on milk cartons.
Modig, C. (2009), Never Violence – Thirty Years on from Sweden’s Abolition of Corporal Punishment, Save the Children
Sweden and Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Switzerland
In a 2007 survey of 1,028 people, 68.1% said slapping a child or “smacking” their bottom was a
legitimate educational measure (61.8% of 15-34 year olds, 67.7% of 35-5 year olds and 76.8% of 55-74
year olds).
ISOPUBLIC Institut für Markt- und Meinungsforschung (2007), Jugendkriminalität: GALLUP TELEOmnibus: Befragung vom
11.7-14.7.2007, Schwerzenbach: ISOPUBLIC Institut für Markt- und Meinungsforschung
Syrian Arab Republic
A report based on more than 200 interviews with former detainees and defectors from the Syrian military
and intelligence agencies, conducted between April 2011 and May 2012, documented 12 cases of
detention and torture of children by the security forces. As at 22 June 2012, local activists had recorded
the detention of 635 children.
Human Rights Watch (2012), Torture Archipelago: Arbitrary Arrests, Torture, and Enforced Disappearances in Syria’s
Underground Prisons since March 2011, NY: Human Rights Watch
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 89% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Nearly eight in ten experienced physical punishment, and 92% of mothers and
caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Non-violent discipline was also
widely used, experienced by 90% of children. Nearly one quarter of children experienced severe physical
punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement),
84% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys were slightly
more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (90% compared to 88%). Children aged 5-9 were
more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages (91% of 5-9 year olds compared to
85% of 2-4 year olds and 88% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger households were more likely
to experience violent discipline (90% of children in households of 6 or more people compared to 75% of
children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children with more siblings are
more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the study. Children living in
households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent
discipline than those living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s experience
of violent discipline were found according to engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
Taiwan
In a 2012 survey carried out by the Humanistic Education Foundation, only 4.62% of the 1,112 junior
high school students and 10.92% of the 1,112 elementary school students interviewed had never seen
corporal punishment at their schools. The results indicated that corporal punishment – defined as
“spanking” and/or forcing students to stand still, maintain a certain position or perform particular actions
(e.g. forcing them to run around the playground) – was used in around 90% of elementary and junior high
schools in Taiwan. Violent verbal punishments were also common.
Reported in Focus Taiwan, 20 November 2012
In a 2011 poll of over 2,000 students at schools in 22 cities and counties, nearly 30% of junior high
school students and 20% of elementary school students had experienced corporal punishment, despite the
prohibition of school corporal punishment enacted in 2006; 20% of students had experienced verbal abuse
or threats from their teachers.
Reported in “Legal ban has not stopped corporal punishment: poll”, Taipei Times, 10 Aug 2011
Government research has shown a drop in the incidence of corporal punishment in schools since it was
prohibited in December 2006. Surveys among junior high students conducted every two months reveal
that corporal punishment of students fell from 42.5% in 2006 to 29.2% in 2007 and to 15.8% in the first
two months of 2008 (compared with 27.7% in the first two months of 2007).
Reported in The China Post, 25 April 2008
In a nationwide survey by the Humanistic Education Foundation of 2,779 elementary and junior high
school students in April and May 2007, more than 52.8% reported receiving corporal punishment,
representing a decline compared with 64% in 2005. There was also a change in the types of punishment
inflicted – student beatings dropped from 51% in 2005 to 27.3% in 2007, while the use of fazhan
(standing for a certain period of time) increased from 9.7% in 2005 to 35% in 2007.
Reported in the Taipei Times, 4 June 2007
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In January 2007, the findings from a survey of 5,630 elementary and junior high school educators who
had attended discussions hosted by the 21st Century Education Association in autumn 2006 were
published, revealing that 30% of teachers believed corporal punishment is appropriate and necessary in
improving academic performance, study skills and students’ characters; 60% felt educators would
continue to use physical force as a disciplinary measure, despite the prohibition of corporal punishment in
law; 69% felt that an online forum for sharing and discussing positive disciplinary methods would
facilitate the move away from corporal punishment.
Reported in The China Post, 19 January 2007
The Humanistic Education Foundation conducted five surveys between 1999 and 2005 that showed a
decline in the use of corporal punishment in schools. In 1999, 83.4% of students interviewed reported
experiencing corporal punishment in that academic year. In 2000, the figure was 74.2%, in 2001 70.9%,
and in 2004 69.4%. In 2005, the survey was conducted in 23 cities/counties in Taiwan, involving 3,240
respondents (1,164 junior high school students and 2,076 primary school students): 65.1% reported
having experienced corporal punishment, 56.2% of primary school students and 70% of junior high
school students. The most common form of corporal punishment was by hitting on the palms or bottoms
with a hand or stick (47.7%). Direct infliction of physical pain was used in 56.8% of cases (including
hitting with a hand or stick, deprivation of physical needs, holding painful postures). Almost a quarter
(23.9%) of students received punishment that may constitute crimes of assault, instigation of assault or
public insults. Almost one in ten (9.5%) of those who experienced physical pain were punished in this
way over 10 times during the year.
Humanistic Education Foundation (2005), How much does it hurt? Only the children can tell: HEF 2005 survey of corporal
punishment in schools, HEF
A 2015 survey conducted by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families found 57% of Taiwanese parents
inflict corporal punishment on their children, most commonly slapping the child’s palms or buttocks; 31%
tug their children; and 84% yell at their children. Information for the survey was provided by 869
childcare-related professionals including social workers, pre-school educators, psychological counsellors,
medical workers and police officers. Almost all (93%) of respondents said parents required more parental
education, while 73% said parents brought about negative effects on their children as a result of stress and
emotional instability.
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) (2015), Importance of Parenting - Parenting Survey Result, Taipei, Taiwan:
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF)
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Tajikistan
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 78% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Six in ten experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage (12%)
of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 89% of children. Nearly one child in five was severely
physically punished (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement), 73% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (80% compared to
75%). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages (81%
of 5-9 year olds compared to 69% of 2-4 year olds and 79% of 10-14 year olds). Children living in larger
households were more likely to experience violent discipline (79% of children in households of 6 or more
people compared to 61% of children in households of 2-3 people). The statistics also suggest that children
with more siblings are more likely to experience violent discipline in most countries involved in the
study. No significant differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to
level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006, 74% of girls and women
aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
TFYR Macedonia
The 2011 report of the Ombudsman, acting as National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional
Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, documented the use of solitary confinement as a punishment
and of insults and physical violence by guards against juveniles in penitentiary-correctional and
educational-correctional institutions.
Ombudsman: National Preventive Mechanism (2012), Annual Report, Skopje: Ombudsman
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 72% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Nearly six in ten experienced physical punishment, while a much smaller percentage
(7%) of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 90% of children. More than one child in seven
experienced severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over
and over with an implement), 61% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Boys were slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (77% compared to
68%). No significant differences in children’s experiences of violent discipline were found according to
age, household size, level of education of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2005-2006, 12% of children with disabilities aged 2-9 were
hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement in the
home in the month prior to the survey, compared to 20% of children without disabilities.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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A 2009 report by the office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Macedonia found that corporal
punishment was very common in institutions. Fifty-three children living in three institutions took part in
the research. Of these, 21% said physical violence occurred often in institutions, 21% said it occurred
rarely; 17% said they were often psychologically abused, 11% rarely. Only about half the children had
never experienced physical violence, and half had never experienced psychological violence. Children
were afraid to report experiencing corporal punishment, and did not know where to report it.
First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi (2009), Overview of the situation of children in institutions in Republic of
Macedonia, www.childrensembassy.org.mk
Almost two thirds (65.3%) of respondents to a 2009 survey of 662 adults believed corporal punishment
should never be used. This was a significant increase compared to a similar 2005 survey of 519 adults,
when 42.8% said corporal punishment should never be used; 1.5% of respondents in 2009 said corporal
punishment was acceptable “if the parent believes that it will be effective”, compared to 14.5% in 2005.
The studies in 2005 and 2009 also examined adults’ perceptions of the prevalence of corporal
punishment.
BRIMA (2009), Overview of the perception about the corporal punishment of the children in Republic of Macedonia and
comparative analysis between the research results from 2005 and 2009 year, www.canee.net/files/Omnibus%20research%
20Macedonia%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
A 2009 survey of 208 teachers in primary schools in Skopje found that 73% believed corporal
punishment is humiliating for the child and 70% believed it meant “the parents are not good at rearing
children”; 68% felt the use of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party. In
an identical survey of a similar sample in 2005, 62% believed this. On average, respondents in 2009
estimated that 30% of children in Macedonia experience spanking as punishment, compared to an average
estimate of 52% in 2005.
Nobody’s Children Foundation et al (2009), Skopje teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse, www.canee.net/files/Teachers%
20studies%20Macedonia%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in
Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
The First Children’s Embassy in the world-Megjashi, carried out research on children’s rights,
discrimination and violence in 2009, involving over 2,200 students. According to the report, 56% of
children named hitting/beating as a form of violence that happens in schools, and 57% said they knew a
child who had been beaten by a teacher or headteacher, including being slapped (63%), caned (34%), and
kicked (15%).
First Children’s Embassy in the world-Megjashi (2009), Perception of Children’s Rights, Discrimination and Children’s
Exposure to Violence, www.childrensembassy.org.mk/default-en.asp?ItemID=BDE30F4995F6E24A8495ABB7F7C731A1
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2011, 69% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. More than half (52%) experienced physical punishment and 56% experienced psychological
aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A much smaller percentage (3%) of
mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
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Thailand
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Thailand 58% of girls and 72% of boys involved in the study
had experienced “mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or
slapping on the hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), 5% of girls and 3% of boys had
experienced severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears; beating
the child repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Smaller
percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for
girls, 16% of mothers and 22% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 11% of mothers and 10% of
fathers.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
A UNICEF study involving more than 2,300 children in the southern border area of Thailand found that
violence, and the anxiety it causes, is an everyday occurrence in their lives, including corporal
punishment in homes and schools. Of the 475 children who answered a question about corporal
punishment in the home, 38% said they had direct experience of violent punishment like beating with a
stick or belt, 8% said this kind of punishment happens often; 50% of the 1,010 children who answered a
question on their opinion on corporal punishment at home disagreed that they deserved violent
punishment when they did wrong.
UNICEF (2008), Everyday Fears: A study of children’s perceptions of living in the southern border area of Thailand, Bangkok:
UNICEF, www.unicef.org/thailand/Everyday_fears.pdf
In November 2006, the findings of a study funded by the National Health Foundation were released
which showed that corporal punishment continues to be used in schools, despite its prohibition. The
research constituted a questionnaire sent to 1,300 teachers in primary and high schools across the country.
Punishments reported included hitting students with open palms, fists, clothes and blunt objects, kicking,
applying heated materials and slapping the face. Up to 60% of the teachers strongly believed corporal
punishment was the right method to use with students.
Reported in The Nation, 17 November 2006
Timor-Leste
Research carried out in 2004/5 by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Labour and
Community Reinsertion, UNCEF and Plan International, examined the attitudes and practices of teachers
and parents towards discipline of children. Self administered questionnaires were completed by 168
students and interviews were carried out with 1,031 parents and 31 community leaders; focus group
discussions were held separately with students, parents, children who lived in residential care, and
residential care staff. Over two thirds of children (67%) reported being beaten with a stick by teachers,
and 39% slapped on the face by teachers. Three out of five (60%) reported being beaten with a stick by
their parents. Almost two thirds of parents (63%) felt it acceptable to yell violently at a child; 39% said it
was acceptable to beat a child with a stick, and just over a third considered other physical punishments
such as ear twisting and face slapping acceptable.
UNICEF (2006), Speak Nicely to Me – A Study on Practices and Attitudes about Discipline of Children in Timor-Leste
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Togo
In a study on the wellbeing and vulnerability of child domestic workers, 56% of the child domestic
workers involved in Togo said their employers physically punished them. The study was conducted in
2009 in Peru, Costa Rica, Togo, Tanzania, India and Philippines with around 3,000 children, mostly aged
10-17, half of whom worked as paid or unpaid domestic workers.
Anti-Slavery International (2013), Home Truths: Wellbeing and vulnerabilities of child domestic workers, London: Anti-Slavery
International
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 93.2% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. More than three quarters
(77.4%) experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (34.6%) of mothers and caregivers
thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. Seventeen per cent of children were severely
physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an implement),
85.6% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Direction Générale de la Statistique et de la Comptabilité Nationale (2012), Enquête par grappes à indicateurs multiples MICS
Togo (2010), Rapport final, Direction Générale de la Statistique et de la Comptabilité Nationale & UNICEF
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 91% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. More than three quarters experienced physical punishment. Non-violent discipline
was also widely used, experienced by 90% of children. More than a quarter of children experienced
severe physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with
an implement), 83% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted).
Children aged 5-9 were slightly more likely to experience violent discipline than younger children (92%
of 5-9 year olds compared to 87% of 2-4 year olds). No significant differences in children’s experience of
violent discipline were found according to sex, household size, level of education of adults in the
household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
From mid-2005, Plan Togo commissioned research into violence and abuse in schools. This included a
joint study with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) which involved interviews with
1,000 schoolchildren in 35 villages and more than 500 mothers of school aged children, teachers,
traditional chiefs, members of security services, social workers and others, a case study on violence and
abuse in Togolese schools comprising 19 first-person narratives and observations based on interviews
with children, parents and teachers in 7 villages and 2 towns, and a discussion of structural violence in the
education system in Togo. In the FAWE research, children in their last 3 years of primary school were
interviewed: 88% of the girls and 87% of the boys reported experiencing physical violence at school;
52% of girls and 48% of boys reported experiencing threatening behaviour or psychological violence.
Plan Togo (2006), Suffering to Succeed? Violence and abuse in schools in Togo, Lome: Plan Togo
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 more than half (53%) of
girls and women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain
circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Tokelau
A report carried out in 2004 stated that corporal punishment of children by their parents, ranging from
“mild” slapping to severe beating, was common and widely accepted.
Government of Tokelau & UNICEF, 2006, Tokelau: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women and Youth, Suva: UNICEF
Pacific Office
Tonga
A study of 1,170 14-17 year olds found that 14% of boys and 10% of girls had experienced an intentional
injury from a teacher in the past year.
Smith, B. J. et al (2008), “Intentional injury reported by young people in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kingdom of Tonga
and Vanuatu”, BMC Public Health, 8 (145), 1-8, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
According to a 2006 report, beating was the principal form of punishment of children in the family home
and physical punishment was also used in schools. The report recommended prohibition of all corporal
punishment.
Government of Tonga & UNICEF (2006), Tonga: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women and Youth, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Office
Trinidad and Tobago
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 77% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. More than half experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (25%) of
mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent discipline
was also widely used, experienced by 89% of children. One child in twenty experienced severe physical
punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an implement),
68% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Children aged 2-4
were more likely to experience violent discipline than older children (83% of 2-4 year olds compared to
79% of 5-9 year olds and 74% of 10-14 year olds). No significant differences in children’s experience of
violent discipline were found according to sex, household size, level of education of adults in the
household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 eight per cent of girls and
women aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain
circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Tunisia
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2012, 93% of children aged 2-14
experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2014), The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers: Every Child Counts, NY: UNICEF
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A 2006 study of 4,511 households with children aged 2-14 found that 94% of the children were punished
using physical, verbal or other forms of violence; 73% were hit, and 26% insulted; 85% of 2-5 year olds,
81% of 6-9 year olds and 66% of 10-14 year olds experienced corporal punishment. Boys and girls were
punished equally and the number of people in the household, amount of living space and levels of
maternal education had little effect on the levels of corporal punishment. Eighty-two per cent of mothers
under 40 were physically violent towards their children compared to 70% of mothers over 40.
Ministère de la Sante Publique, Office National de la Famille et de la Population and UNICEF (2008), Enquête sur la Sante et
Le Bien Etre de la Mère et l’Enfant - MICS 3 (in French), www.childinfo.org/files/MICS3_Tunisia_FinalReport_2006_Fr.pdf
Turkey
In a study involving 464 families, carried out by Hacettepe University Public Health Institute, 38.6% of
parents thought corporal punishment could be used as a “last resort”; 14% said boys could be beaten but
girls could not, 6.7% said it was OK to “smack” younger but not older children. Fifty-seven per cent of
parents thought using physical force against children should be completely banned, 67.5% thought
corporal punishment was “completely harmful” for children.
Reported in The Daily News, 20 November 2013
A 2010 study examined the prevalence of various types of family violence in the childhoods of 988
college students through anonymous questionnaires. The types of violence included being kicked,
punched, thrown, bruised, burned, or caused to bleed, lose teeth, or have broken bones; 53.3% had
experienced some of these types of violence in childhood (64% of males and 41.6% of females). The
most common perpetrators were mothers and fathers, but siblings and other relatives also inflicted some
violence. Over one in five (22.6%) of the victims of violence said the perpetrator had behaved violently to
establish discipline, 15.9% said the perpetrator wanted to teach them a lesson, and 16.1% said the
perpetrator wanted to instil respect; 60.7% said the perpetrator was unable to control him or herself and
8.7% said the perpetrator was violent in order to release their anger; 35.4% reported feeling humiliated by
the violence, 26.3% accepted it, and 10.4% felt hate for the perpetrator.
Turla, A. et al (2010), “Prevalence of Childhood Physical Abuse in a Representative Sample of College Students in Samsun,
Turkey”, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25 (7), 1298–1308
A report on psychiatric facilities, orphanages and rehabilitation centres in Turkey found that in psychiatric
institutions children as young as 9 were subjected to electroconvulsive or “shock” treatment (ECT),
including as a punishment, without the use of muscle relaxants or anaesthesia – extremely painful,
frightening and dangerous treatment. In rehabilitation centres and orphanages, children were restrained,
sometimes permanently, by being tied by their arms and legs or having plastic bottles taped over their
hands. The report documents an incident of corporal punishment where a child was locked up, thrown
across a room, tied up and hit.
Ahern, L. et al (2005), Behind Closed Doors: Human Rights Abuses in the Psychiatric Facilities, Orphanages and
Rehabilitation Centers of Turkey, Mental Disability Rights International
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
39% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Tuvalu
According to a 2006 report on the situation of children, corporal punishment was common and seen by
many parents as the “normal” way of “disciplining” children. Corporal punishment was also said to often
be used in schools.
Government of Tuvalu & UNICEF (2006), Tuvalu: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women and Youth, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
Office
Uganda
In a 2013 survey that involved interviews with nearly 400 5-17 year olds, 35.2% had been hit or
“spanked” with an object by a teacher in the past year and 32.9% had experienced this from parents or
step-parents. More than a quarter (27.1%) had been hit or spanked with a hand in the past year by a parent
or step-parent, 19.1% by a teacher; 32.3% had been pinched, had their ears twisted or their hair pulled in
the past year by a teacher, 22.9% by a parent or step-parent. About 45% of children expressed disapproval
of physical punishment, emphasising its negative effects including physical pain, emotional distress and
damaging consequences for child-parent relationships.
ANPCCAN & Makerere University (2013), Baseline Survey on Community Child Protection Systems in Uganda, ANPCCAN &
Makerere University
In a survey involving 3,200 children in eight districts in northern Uganda, corporal punishment in the
home and at school was identified as one of children’s major safety concerns: 79% said they felt unsafe or
scared due to beatings at school and 90% at home. When asked to draw something that made them feel
unsafe at home, at school or in the community, more than half drew pictures of teachers beating children,
and children in all regions drew pictures of corporal punishment in the home.
WarChild UK (2012), Child Safety Report Card: 2012 Regional Report
A survey of 990 children attending 25 primary schools in Arua, Apac, Kitgum, Mukono and Rakai
Districts found that 81.5% had been beaten at school: 73% of the beatings were perpetrated by teachers
and 12% by parents or guardians who were called into schools to punish children. Eighty-two per cent of
the children had been made to do hard work such as digging, cleaning pit latrines and collecting water,
usually as a punishment.
ANPPCAN Uganda (2011), Baseline Survey to Assess Violence against Children in Arua, Apac, Kitgum, Mukono and Rakai
Districts: Final Report
In a survey of 1,015 children at 25 public and private primary schools in Acholi, Lango, West Nile and
Central regions, 81% reported having been beaten at school – 73% had been beaten by a teacher, 15% by
other students, 12% by their parents or guardians. Children were also punished by being denied food for
extended periods of time, locked up in rooms, assigned difficult work and forced to kneel in front of other
children at school; 82% had seen their friends being caned. The study, conducted in April 2011 by
ANPPCAN Uganda Chapter, also involved 52 professionals including teachers, head teachers, PTA
members, police, government and non-government experts in the education and child protection fields at
district and national level.
Reported by Anppccan Uganda Chapter, 10 July 2011, www.anppcanug.org
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A 2010 study of juvenile detention in Uganda found that despite the prohibition of corporal punishment
of children in penal institutions, children were routinely caned as a punishment in both Mbale Remand
Home and Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre. In Kampiringisa, children were also punished by
being placed in an isolation cell. In the majority of remand homes, corporal punishment was not used.
The report suggested that the legality of corporal punishment in the home and school in Uganda may
account for its continued use in some penal institutions.
Moore, M. (2010), Juvenile Detention in Uganda: Review of Ugandan Remand Homes and the National Rehabilitation Centre,
African Prisons Project
A 2010 African Child Policy Forum report on violence against children with disabilities in Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia documented a very high level of violence. Nearly a thousand 18
-24 year olds took part in the study across the five countries, reporting on their experiences as children. In
Uganda, 87% had experienced at least one type of physical violence during their childhood. The most
commonly experienced type of physical violence was being hit, punched, kicked or beaten. Perpetrators
of physical violence included stepmothers (10.8%), mothers (9.5%), fathers (8.7%) and other relatives
(15.7%). Across the five countries, 23% said they had experienced physical violence which was “mostly
discipline, reasonable and justified”, 27% which was “mostly discipline but not reasonable or justified”.
Twenty-six per cent said they had experienced emotional violence which was “discipline, but not
reasonable or justified”, 22% that was “disciplinary, reasonable and justified”. Across all five countries,
more than half (54%) of those who had been physically beaten said they had suffered broken bones, teeth,
bleeding or bruising; 2% had been permanently disabled; 21% required medical attention; 13% had to
miss school or work; and 20% had needed rest at home. For all five countries, the majority of respondents
with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities experienced physical violence more than 10 times. The
report recommends prohibition of all corporal punishment, including in the home, as a way to minimise
the risk of violence against children with disabilities.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Violence Against Children With Disabilities in Africa: Field Studies from Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
A survey of 500 young women in Uganda aged 18-24 years concerning their childhood experiences of
violence, undertaken by the Africa Child Policy Forum and published in 2006, found that 94.2% had been
subjected to physical violence. Beating with an object was the most prevalent form of physical violence
(85.8%). Prevalence figures for other physical violence were 55% for punching, 26.8% kicking, 47.8%
hard work, 20.4% being choked/burned/stabbed, 9% having spicy/bitter food put in mouth, 18.2% being
locked or tied up, and 52.8% being denied food. Girls were found to be most vulnerable to beating with
an object when aged 10-13 (57.1%), and to being hit/punched when aged 14-17 (44%). Experiencing the
violence more than 10 times was more likely in the case of beating than other physical violence. Most
beating with an object was carried out by male teachers (48.5%), followed by fathers (43.4%) and
mothers (42.9%); in 57.3% of cases medical attention was required. Most hitting/punching was carried
out by fathers (22.9%), followed by mothers (17.1%) and brothers (15.6%), with medical attention
required in 21.1% of cases. At school, girls were told they were beaten for being late, for misbehaving, or
for being disrespectful. At home, the reasons given for beating or hitting included for breaking/losing
something, for being disrespectful to their elders, or for not doing housework.
Stavropoulos, J. (2006), Violence Against Girls in Africa: A Retrospective Survey in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, Addis Ababa,
The African Child Policy Forum
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A 2005 study which included interviews with orphans living with guardians (often family members)
reported that orphans experience corporal punishment daily to monthly, including slapping and caning
with sticks and logs. The orphans reported experiencing more frequent and severe corporal punishment
than other children, including the children of their guardians. Orphans were also spoken to more severely
than other children. The motive for the severity and frequency of punishments was understood by the
children to be “the guardians’ anger and frustration about having to care for the orphans when their
resources were limited” (p. 9).
World Vision International – Africa Office (2005), Violence Against Children affected by HIV/AIDS: a case study of Uganda
In-depth research into children’s experiences of violence against them was carried out in 2005 using a
range of methods to look at the stories and opinions of 1,406 children aged 8-18 (719 girls, 687 boys) and
1,093 adults (520 women, 573 men), including parents, teachers and community leaders, from five
diverse districts. This included the administration of 1,000 questionnaires to children (in and out of
school), of which 777 were valid returns, and 900 questionnaires to adults, of which 755 were valid
returns. Other methods were focus groups, narrative role-play, journal writing and interviews. Almost all
children (98.3%) reported experiencing physical violence at home and/or school. The most common
forms were caning, slapping and pinching, followed by burning, locking up, tying up and other (e.g.
kneeling, slashing grass, cleaning latrines), all more common for boys than girls except slapping,
pinching and other. Older boys were more likely to experience severe physical violence. Almost one third
(31.3%) said they experienced physical violence at least once per week and 15% said it happened “every
day”; 38.8% said it occurred mainly at home, 28.6% mainly at school and 31.8% both at school and
home. Most adults (90%) agreed that in their communities children were deliberately beaten, with 37%
saying children in their communities were “frequently mistreated”; 55.1% saying “sometimes
mistreated”. Most (91.3%) described using a combination of physical and emotional punishment, most
commonly caning (78.3%), slapping (45.7%), pinching (42.8%), assigning excessive work (19.3%), and
locking children up (11.4%), tying them up (3.4%) and burning them (2.9%). Apart from caning, these
figures are significantly lower than those given by the children. Only 1.2% said they themselves never
punished children. While 87.9% said they punished children to guide their behaviour, only 32.6%
believed the punishment would change the behaviour; 81.7% said they punished their own children,
57.9% felt comfortable punishing other children in the community. Of teachers, 80.1% reported punishing
their own children and 60.4% their students. Of community leaders, 89.4% punished their own children
compared with 22.4% punishing others’ children.
Naker, D. (2005), Violence Against Children – The Voices of Ugandan Children and Adults, Raising Voices/Save the Children
in Uganda
According to the Uganda Health and Demographic Survey 2006, 70.2% of women and girls aged 15-49
think it is OK for men to hit their spouses.
Reported in The Observer, 19 November 2009
A 2011 report by Human Rights Watch documented corporal punishment of prisoners in Uganda,
including beatings with batons, canes, sticks, whips and electric cable and wire, despite the prohibition of
corporal punishment in the Prisons Act 2006. Children are sometimes detained with adults in prisons,
even though this is prohibited.
Human Rights Watch (2011), “Even Dead Bodies Must Work”: Health, Hard Labor, and Abuse in Ugandan Prisons
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From January 2012 to September 2014, the Good Schools Study was conducted in 42 primary schools in
Luwero District to test the effectiveness of the Good School Toolkit – an 18-month intervention
developed by the Ugandan non-profit organisation Raising Voices – in reducing physical violence from
school staff to students. The study found that at baseline 54% of students reported past week physical
violence from school staff; in the follow-up survey 31% of students in the intervention group reported
past week physical violence from school staff, compared to 48·7% in the control group – this was found
to correspond to a 42% reduction in risk of past week physical violence from school staff. These results
were seen as highly encouraging because they demonstrate that it is possible to change an entrenched,
normative behaviour such as the use of physical violence over the 18-month timescale of programme
implementation.
Devries, K. M. et al (2015), “The Good School Toolkit for reducing physical violence from school staff to primary school
students: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Uganda”, The Lancet Global Health, 3(7), 378-386
A study conducted from 2012-2014 involving 42 primary schools in Luwero District assessed whether the
Good School Toolkit – a complex behavioural intervention designed by Ugandan non-profit organisation
Raising Voices – could reduce physical violence from school staff to primary school children. At
baseline, 54% of students reported past week physical violence from school staff. After 18 months, the
study found prevalence of past week physical violence was lower in the intervention schools (31%) than
in the control schools (49%).
Devries, K. M., et al (2015), “The Good School Toolkit for reducing physical violence from school staff to primary school
students: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Uganda”, Lancet Global Health, 385, e378–386
UK
A study that involved focus groups with 70 parents found that although most had physically punished
their children, “the consensus was that physical punishment was neither acceptable nor effective” (p. 29).
A significant number of parents said they would be happy for legislation banning physical punishment to
be enacted.
Prince, J. et al (2014), Attitudes to parenting practices and child discipline, Cardiff: Welsh Government Social Research
Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that 8,419 incidents of restraint on 10-17 year olds in
custody took place in England and Wales during 2011-2012 – a 17% rise from the previous year.
Reported by The Howard League for Penal Reform, 31 January 2013
In a study involving focus groups and face-to-face interviews with 104 13-22 year olds with experience of
youth custody in Austria, Cyprus, England, the Netherlands and Romania, young people in England
expressed the view that physical restraint in custody can be used as a punishment.
Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2013), Speaking Freely: Children and Young People in Europe Talk about Ending
Violence Against Children in Custody – Research Report, London: CRAE
A 2012 poll of 2,011 adults in Britain found that 30% would support and 63% oppose “banning parents
from smacking their children”. Of those who said they had never been “smacked” as children, 52%
supported a ban and 35% opposed one; 51% of respondents said they agreed with the existing “ban on
smacking” in state and private schools, with 39% disagreeing.
Reported in Angus Reid Public Opinion, 13 February 2012, www.angus-reid.com
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Research carried out by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 2009
and published in 2011 involved 2,160 interviews with parents of children under 11, 2,275 interviews with
11-17 year olds and their parents, and 1,761 interviews with 18-24 year olds on their childhood
experiences. More than two in five (41.6%) of the parents or guardians said they had physically punished
or “smacked” their child in the past year: 39.4% of the parents or guardians of under 11s and 45.9% of
11–17s. The report compares the responses of the 18-24 year olds to those in a similar study that
examined the experiences of 18-24 year olds in 1998. In 2009, 41% of 18-24 year olds said they had been
smacked on the bottom with a bare hand by an adult at home, school or elsewhere during their childhood,
compared to 53.1% in 1998; 43% had been smacked on the leg, arm or hand (61% in 1998), and 13.4%
slapped on the face, head or ears (21.3% in 1998).
Radford, L. et al (2011), Child abuse and neglect in the UK today, NSPCC
A 2011 report on madrassas (supplementary schools for Muslim children that operate outside the
mainstream education system) found that children experienced corporal punishment, including being
“smacked”, hit with a belt and threatened with a stick in some madrassas.
Cherti, M. & Bradley, L. (2011), Inside Madrassas: Understanding and Engaging with Bristish-Muslim Faith Supplementary
Schools, London: Institute for Public Policy Research
A survey of 55 health care workers working primarily with children (including paediatricians, clinical
psychologists, psychiatrists, school nurses and health visitors) in Scotland found that 47% incorrectly
believed the law protected children from assault to a greater extent than adults, 40% correctly stated this
was not the case, and 13% did not know.
Rae, H. et al (2010), “Health Care Workers’ Knowledge of Current Child Protection Legislation and Child Discipline Practices”,
Child Abuse Review, 19, 259-272
A 2010 review of the literature on UK parents’ attitudes to physical punishment highlighted the
ambivalence that is evidenced by many studies. While physical punishment was found to be common by
many surveys, parents’ attitudes towards it were often inconsistent or conflicting, with many parents,
including those who used physical punishment, agreeing it was not a good thing to do.
Bunting, L. et al (2010), “In Two Minds? Parental Attitudes Toward Physical Punishment in the UK”, Children and Society, 24,
359-370
In a survey of 1,000 parents of children aged 0-10 in Northern Ireland, 47% said they had physically
punished their children at some point and 45% in the last year. On average, those who had used physical
punishment during the last year had done so 8 times. The most common form of physical punishment was
a smack on the bottom with a bare hand, used by 33% of parents, on average 5.3 times in the past year;
26% had slapped their child on the hand, arm or leg, on average 5.6 times in the past year, and 2.2% had
hit their child on the bottom with a belt, a hairbrush, a stick or some other hard object, on average 4.5
times in the past year. Children aged 3-6 were more likely to have been physically punished in the past
year (53%) than children aged 7-10 (43%) or 0-2 (33%). Two thirds of parents thought physical
punishment never or infrequently led to the child having increased respect for parents, and 60% that it
never or infrequently led to the child learning acceptable behaviour; 40% thought physical punishment
always or frequently made the child more aggressive, 36% that it always or frequently led to long-term
emotional upset for the child, and 60% that it always or frequently made the parent feel regret or guilt.
Bunting, L. et al (2008), The ‘smacking debate’ in Northern Ireland: messages from research, Barnardo’s Northern Ireland,
NICCY and NSPCC Northern Ireland, www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/SmackingDebateNI_wda63277.html
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Of nearly 14,000 mothers interviewed as part of the third survey of the Millennium Cohort Study, which
is tracking the development of more than 15,000 UK children, 45% said they never smacked their 5 year
old child. Half the mothers in Wales (49%) said they never smacked their child, compared with 35% in
Northern Ireland, 45% in England and 43% in Scotland.
Hansen, K. & Joshi, H. (2008), Millennium Cohort Study: Third Survey: A User’s Guide to Initial Findings, London: Institute of
Education
In 2008, a report on the ongoing Growing up in Scotland (GUS) study focussed on parenting styles.
Interviews were carried out with over 4,500 parents of children aged on average 22.5 months and 2,500
parents of children aged on average 46.5 months: 34% of the parents of 3 year olds and 16% of the
parents of younger children reported that they had smacked their children. Less than one in five of the
parents of 3 year olds believed smacking was useful, and fewer still of the parents of younger children.
Bradshaw, P. et al (2008), Growing up in Scotland: Sweep 2 Overview Report, Edinburgh: The Scottish Government, www.
scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/212225/0056476.pdf
In an Ipsos MORI poll for Parenting Across Scotland, 5% of the 1,000 parents surveyed had smacked
their child “fairly often” or “sometimes” in the previous year, 15% had smacked their child once or twice
during that time, and around 20% had threatened to smack their child. Only 1% believed smacking is an
effective way of changing a child’s behaviour, 3% believed threatening to smack is effective. A majority
of parents (71%) had shouted or yelled at their child, though only 7% consider this to be effective.
Ipsos MORI (2008), What Scottish Parents Tell Us, Edinburgh: Parenting Across Scotland
In April 2007, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) published the
results of a survey of 1,000 adults in which 77% believed smacking is becoming less acceptable. The
survey was part of the NSPCC’s campaign to stop children being smacked in shops. It revealed that a
child being smacked in public had been witnessed by 41% of respondents within the previous six months.
The majority of adults (86%) would be happy to shop in a smack-free shop, while 40% would actively
prefer to shop where smacking was prohibited; almost all (93%) said they would like shops to take action
to help parents losing their tempers with their children. When asked how they felt on seeing a child being
smacked, 65% of respondents said they felt concerned for the child; 51% felt upset; 51% said they would
like to stop the child being smacked, with 42% of those wanting to comfort the child and 47% wanting to
help the parent.
Reported by the NSPCC, 10 April 2007
As part of its 2007 review into section 58 of the Children Act 2004, the Department of Children, Schools
and Families commissioned studies into the views of parents and children in England and Wales on
“smacking”. The parental survey involved 1,822 parents, of whom 1,204 had children under 18 and 618
had children 18 and over. Of the parents with children under 18, 29% said they had smacked their child at
some point in the past year, 8% in the past month and 5% in the past week; 38% said they had never
smacked their child. Two-to-five year olds were most likely to have been smacked in the last year, with
37% of parents of this age group saying they had done this, compared to 32% of parents of 6-10 year
olds, 18% of parents of 11-15 year olds, 10% of parents of 16-17 year olds, and 9% of parents of 0-1 year
olds. More than half (57%) said they had smacked at least one of their children at some stage: 14% said
they had smacked their children because they “snapped” or lost their temper. Two in five (39%) parents
with a child under 18 disagreed that “it is sometimes necessary to smack a naughty child”, and 31%
agreed with the statement “I think it is always wrong to smack a child and I won’t do it”; 55% of parents
disagreed that “smacking is a good way of teaching children right from wrong”.
IPSOS Mori (2007), A study into the views of parents on the physical punishment of children for the Department for Children,
Schools and Families, DCSF
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As part of its 2007 review into section 58 of the Children Act 2004, the Department of Children, Schools
and Families commissioned studies into the views of parents and children in England and Wales on
“smacking”. The study into children’s views involved 64 children aged 4-16, through group and pair
discussions. The majority of the children had been smacked at some point in their lives, mostly but not
exclusively when they were under 10. Boys and girls from all social classes were smacked. Smacking was
“often the most feared type of punishment”, but “children consistently agreed that it was not the most
effective” (p. 55). Children highlighted the emotional impact of smacking, saying it often made them feel
“scarred, stressed, harassed and on edge” (p. 47). Most of the children “struggled to endorse smacking as
an effective form of punishment” (p. 56).
Sherbert Research (2007), A Study into Children’s Views on Physical Discipline and Punishment, DCSF and COI
In a survey of 1,250 people by the organisation Parenting Across Scotland, 90% said they choose to
discuss problems. While 7% said it was acceptable to smack a child, 20% admitted having done so in the
last year, with a further 36% saying they had threatened physical punishment.
Reported in BBC News, 27 February 2007
Between November 2005 and October 2006, there were a total of 3,036 incidents of restraint in the four
secure training centres (STCs); 41% of these (1,245 incidents) were perpetrated on girls who represent
34% of the STC population.
Reply to Parliamentary question, reported in The Howard League for Penal Reform (2007), Briefing for House of Lords Debate
on the use of restraint in secure training centres
Almost two thirds (61%) of 1,629 parents who took part in a survey on interactions between parents and
children in Northern Ireland said they never spanked their child. Younger children were more likely to be
physically punished than older children, and boys were more likely to be physically punished than girls.
Devine, P. & Lloyd, K. (2005), Research Update: Bringing up baby, Queen’s University and University of Ulster: ARK NI
Social and Political Archive, www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates/update40.pdf
Ukraine
A study involving 1,000 people aged 15 and over found that 41% thought corporal punishment should
never be used: 72% of parents said they had “smacked” their child, 20% had beaten or hit them, 29% had
beaten them with a belt and 29% had slapped them in the face.
Nobody’s Children Foundation (2013), The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries
2010-2013, Warsaw: Nobody’s Children Foundation
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 70% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Over one third experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (13%) of
mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent discipline
was also widely used, experienced by 96% of children. Two per cent of children experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement), 66% psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys
were more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (76% compared to 65%). Children aged 5-9
were more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages (79% of 5-9 year olds compared
to 60% of 2-4 year olds and 66% of 10-14 year olds). No significant differences in children’s experience
of violent discipline were found according to household size, level of education of adults in the household
or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Over a third (35%) of respondents to a 2009 survey of 1,501 parents aged over 25 believed corporal
punishment should never be used, 51% said corporal punishment “should not be used in general but in
certain situations it is justified”, and 12% said corporal punishment “could be used”; 54% believed
corporal punishment was experienced by more than 50% of children in Ukraine.
Child Well Being Fund Ukraine (2009), Public opinion monitoring in Ukraine: July 2009 www.canee.net/files/Omnibus%
20research%20Ukraine%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes studies carried out in
Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
A 2009 survey of 213 teachers in primary schools in Kiev found that 74% believed corporal punishment
is humiliating for the child and means that “the parents are not good at rearing children”; 76% felt the use
of “spanking” as a punishment would justify intervention by a third party.
Child Well Being Fund Ukraine and Nobody’s Children Foundation (2009), Kiev teachers’ attitudes toward child abuse www.
canee.net/files/Teachers%20studies%20Ukraine%202009.pdf. Part of the Childhood Without Abuse project, which includes
studies carried out in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine in 2005 and 2009
According to UNICEF statistics collected in 2012, 61% of children aged 2-14 experienced “violent
discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the
survey. Thirty per cent experienced physical punishment and 57% experienced psychological aggression
(being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller percentage (11%) of mothers and
caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
United Arab Emirates
Eighty-four per cent of parents and educationalists who took part in a 2011 poll said corporal punishment
of children is outdated and should not be condoned or encouraged; 16% said “spanking” should be used
to discipline children.
Reported by Emirates 24/7, 23 February 2011, www.emirates247.com
In a poll conducted for Al Aan TV’s Nabd al Arab programme and carried out by YouGov Siraj, 53% of
the 770 respondents agreed parents should have the right to “discipline” their children including through
physical punishment. One in five (21%) said corporal punishment was a form of domestic violence, and
10% said it was “backward”. The majority (84%) said teachers could “discipline” children, with 32%
happy for a teacher to strike the child, including with an object such as a ruler; 7% thought it acceptable
to slap a child in the face or swear at them.
Reported in The National, 5 March 2011
UR Tanzania
A study involving 409 children (average age 10.5 years) at a private school in Tanzania found that 95%
had been physically punished at least once in their lifetime by a teacher. The same percentage reported
experiencing physical punishment by parents or caregivers. Eighty-two per cent had been beaten with
sticks, belts or other objects, 66% had been punched, slapped or pinched. Nearly a quarter had
experienced punishment so severe that they were injured. The children’s experience of corporal
punishment was associated with increased aggressive and hyperactive behaviour and decreased
empathetic behaviour.
Hecker, T. et al (2013), “Corporal punishment and children's externalizing problems: A cross-sectional study of Tanzanian
primary school aged children”, Child Abuse & Neglect, available online 17 December 2013
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A report carried out at the end of the Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria and Tanzania
(TEGINT) project, a 2007-2012 initiative to transform the education of girls in Northern Tanzania and
Northern Nigeria, found that in Tanzania 70% of community members and 87% of girls agreed “it is not
okay for teachers to whip a girl who comes late to school because she was caring for a sick relative”. The
study involved surveys with 295 girls and young women aged 11-22 and 91 community members.
Institute of Education & ActionAid (2013), Transforming Education for Girls in Tanzania: Endline research summary report,
Das es Salaam: ActionAid Tanzania
In a study on the wellbeing and vulnerability of child domestic workers, 30% of the child domestic
workers involved in Tanzania said their employers physically punished them. The study was conducted in
2009 in Peru, Costa Rica, Togo, Tanzania, India and Philippines with around 3,000 children, mostly aged
10-17, half of whom worked as paid or unpaid domestic workers.
Anti-Slavery International (2013), Home Truths: Wellbeing and vulnerabilities of child domestic workers, London: Anti-Slavery
International
A report by the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance based on interviews with 179
children in 65 detention centres found that children were subject to violence, including from prison
officers and adult prisoners.
Reported in The Citizen, 29 January 2012, www.thecitizen.co.tz
A study involving over 3,700 13-24 year olds found that 73.5% of females and 71.7% of males had been
slapped, pushed, punched, kicked, beaten up or attacked or threatened with a weapon such as a gun or
knife by a relative, authority figure (including teachers), or intimate partner during their childhood. Over
half (51%) of 13-17 year olds had experienced this in the past year. The report is not explicit about how
much of the violence was inflicted in the name of “discipline”; however, 58.4% of females and 57.2% of
males experienced physical violence by relatives (the majority by fathers and mothers), and 52.6% of
females and 50.8% of males experienced physical violence by teachers. Nearly eight in ten girls (78%)
and nearly seven in ten boys (67%) aged 13-17 who had been punched, kicked or whipped by a teacher
had experienced this more than five times, and nearly half of 13-17 year olds (46.3% girls, 45.9% boys)
who had been punched, kicked or whipped by a relative had experienced this more than five times.
Experiencing physical violence in childhood was associated for females with poor to fair general health,
feelings of anxiety in the past 30 days, having suicidal thoughts, and having a STI diagnosis or symptoms
in the past 12 months; and for males with feelings of depression in the past 30 days.
UNICEF Tanzania, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention & Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (2011), Violence against Children in Tanzania:
Findings from a National Survey (2009), Dar es Salaam: United Republic of Tanzania
A 2010 consultation on the Zanzibar Children’s Bill found that, of over 500 children aged 8 and over,
77% thought all school corporal punishment should be banned.
Save the Children (2010), Capturing Children’s Views on the Children’s Bill 2010: The National Child Consultation
Programme in Zanzibar
Research conducted in July 2013, involving interviews with 730 children and 135 adults, found almost
60% of all interviewees identified corporal punishment as a child protection issue facing children in
Ruvu; 16% of children interviewed linked corporal punishment with physical harm and psychological
effects.
Childreach Tanzania (2015), Child Abuse in Tanzania, Arusha, Tanzania: Childreach Tanzania
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Uruguay
According to a 2009 report by the Ministry of Social Development, 59% of adults reported having used
“moderate” or “severe” physical punishment in the home and 15% having inflicted “severe” or “very
severe” punishments.
Ministry of Social Development (2009), Practices of upbringing and solving family conflicts: Prevalence of ill-treatment against
children and adolescents, cited in Durrant, J. & Smith, A. (2011), Global Pathways to Abolishing Physical Punishment:
Realizing Children’s Rights, NY: Routledge
A 2005 survey of 1,500 children and 900 adults responsible for their care found that 92% of adults had
been physically punished at home as children and 70% justified its use. Nearly all (99%) adults were able
to identify methods of non-violent childrearing if a prohibition of physical punishment were to be
introduced. Thirty-six per cent of the children believed physical punishment was justified.
Program Arcoiris (2005), Boys’ and girls’ opinion about raising methods in Uruguay, cited in Durrant, J. & Smith, A. (2011),
Global Pathways to Abolishing Physical Punishment: Realizing Children’s Rights, NY: Routledge
In a poll of 500 adults in Montevideo in December 2007, just after new legislation prohibiting all corporal
punishment was passed, the majority (53%) agreed that corporal punishment of children is never justified;
37% felt it was justified in some cases; 8% felt it was justified in many cases.
Reported in Angus Reid Global Monitor, 23 February 2008
A survey carried out in 2013 by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development as
part of the global MICS programme, found 55% of children age 2-14 years had been subjected to at least
one form of psychological or physical punishment by household members during the month preceding the
survey, more often in urban areas (56%) than rural areas (42%). Physical punishment was more
commonly experienced by boys (34%) than girls (18%). On average, 3% of children experienced severe
physical punishment (hitting the child on the head, ears or face or hitting the child hard and repeatedly).
Only 34% of children had experienced only non-violent forms of discipline – this more often occurred in
rural areas (47%) than urban areas (33%).
UNICEF & MIDES (2015), Uruguay. Encuesta de Indicadores Múltiples por Conglomerados 2013, Informe Final, Montevideo,
Uruguay: UNICEF & MIDES
USA
A study that recorded audio of 33 mothers interacting with their 2-5 year old children found that corporal
punishment was frequently used and the rate far exceeded previous findings: e.g. the median rate of
spanking in the sample was 18 times per week. In 73% of cases, children repeated the behaviours for
which they had been punished within 10 minutes of being hit. The recordings revealed that corporal
punishment was frequently not used in ways that its advocates recommend (as a last resort, not in anger,
selectively and infrequently).
Holden, G. W. et al (2014), “Eavesdropping on the Family: A Pilot Investigation of Corporal Punishment in the Home”, Journal
of Family Psychology, advance online publication, 14 April 2014
In a survey of 2,286 adults carried out in 2013, 81% said it was sometimes appropriate for parents to
“spank” their children and 19% said it was never appropriate. This represented a slight decline in
approval of spanking compared to a similar poll in 1995, when 87% of respondents said it was sometimes
appropriate. Two thirds (67%) of parents surveyed said they had spanked their child, compared to 80% in
1995. Almost nine in ten respondents (86%) said they were spanked as a child, the same as in 1995.
Nearly three quarters (75%) of those who were spanked as children had spanked their own children,
compared to 25% of those who were not spanked as a child.
Reported by Harris Interactive, 26 September 2013
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An analysis of data on corporal punishment from the Office of Civil Rights, relating to the 2009-2010
school year, revealed that on average, 838 children experience corporal punishment in public schools
every day, the equivalent of one every 30 seconds. Black children were nearly two-and-a-half times more
likely to experience corporal punishment than White children, and nearly eight times more likely than
Hispanic children.
Children’s Defense Fund (2014), The State of America’s Children 2014, Washington DC: Children’s Defense Fund
According to statistics from the Florida Department of Education, just under 3,000 children in Florida
experienced corporal punishment at school in 2011-2012.
Reported in Penascola News Journal, 5 December 2013
An open records request found that students in schools in Mississippi were physically punished, typically
with a wooden paddle, 39,000 times during the 2011-2012 school year, according to reports by school
districts. Physical punishment was inflicted on students in 99 of the state’s 151 school districts.
Reported in Clarion Ledger, 12 April 2013
A 2013 analysis of the General Social Survey 2010 by the Child Trends Data Bank found that female
college graduates were less likely than male college graduates to think “spanking” is sometimes necessary
– 56% of females compared to 71% of males. The same was true of people educated to high school level
– 69% of females thought spanking is sometimes necessary compared to 80% of males. Of people with
less than a high school education, 67% of females thought spanking is sometimes necessary, compared to
63% of males.
Reported in InForum, 13 January 2013
Data from the Georgia Department of Education, gained by a 2013 open records request, revealed that in
the 2011-2012 school year at least 20,011 cases of school corporal punishment were inflicted on at least
11,554 students. Of these, 1,625 (14%) had a disability and 9,791 (85%) did not have a disability; in 1%
of cases, whether the student had a disability was not recorded.
Georgia Department of Education (2012), Breakouts of Student/Discipline Incident Information, System Level, 2011-12 Student
Record Data Collection System (SR 2012)
A 2012 investigation by the Tampa Bay Times into more than 30 private Christian children’s homes in
Florida found that corporal punishment was very common in some of the homes. Punishments included
children being beaten, pinned to the ground, choked, handcuffed, forced to maintain uncomfortable
positions, forced to exercise, threatened and humiliated.
Reported in Tampa Bay Times, 28 October 2012
A study in which researchers anonymously observed 106 “discipline interactions” between children aged
3-5 and their caregivers in public places found that in 23% of the interactions, the children were
physically punished, e.g. through having their arms pulled, or being pinched, slapped or spanked.
Reported in All Michigan, 5 August 2012
A 2012 open records request revealed that in the 2010-2011 school year, 21,792 cases of school corporal
punishment were recorded in Georgia.
Reported in 11alive.com, 6 February 2012
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The Civil Rights Data Collection, a representative sample covering approximately 85% of school
students, provided an analysis of data on school “discipline” from the school year 2009-2010. It found
that students with disabilities were much more likely to experience physical restraint than students
without disabilities: 12% of the sample had a disability but nearly 70% of students experiencing physical
restraint in school had a disability. Hispanic students without disabilities were more likely to experience
seclusion than other students without disabilities: 24% of students without disabilities were Hispanic, but
42% of students without disabilities who experienced seclusion were Hispanic. African-American
students with disabilities were more likely to experience mechanical restraint than other students with
disabilities: 21% of students with disabilities were African-American, but 44% of students with
disabilities who experienced mechanical restraint were African-American.
Office for Civil Rights (2012), Civil Rights Data Collection March 2012, Washington DC: Office for Civil Rights
According to a report by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, more than 600 students
experienced corporal punishment once in North Carolina in 2010-2011, and over 150 students
experienced it at least twice. In total, there were 891 uses of corporal punishment by 17 different school
districts in 2010-2011. Children with disabilities represented 8% of the student population, but 22% of
those experiencing corporal punishment. American Indian students comprised less than 2% of the student
population, but experienced about 35% of the corporal punishment. More than 90% of the corporal
punishment occurred in Robeson County, where American Indians represented 48% of the student
population but 81% of students experiencing corporal punishment.
Reported in Star News Online, 3 February 2012, www.starnewsonline.com; Charlotte Observer, 3 April 2012
A map created by Southern Echo in 2012 documents recorded incidents of school corporal punishment in
108 of the 152 school districts in Mississippi. Overall, 67 districts reported a decrease in the number of
incidents of corporal punishment in the 2010-2011 school year compared to the 2009-2010 school year
and 33 districts reported an increase in the number of incidents of corporal punishment.
Reported in Southern Echo, 19 January 2012, http://southernecho.org/s/?p=2439
In a survey in North Carolina that involved nearly 3,000 mothers of children aged 3-27 months, 30% said
they had spanked their child in the past year. Eleven per cent of those who had spanked their child in the
past year had done so more than 20 times. Five per cent of mothers of 3 month olds said they had spanked
them, and more than 70% of mothers of 23 month olds. With every month of age, a child had 27%
increased odds of being spanked.
Zolotor, A. J. et al. (2011), “The emergence of spanking among a representative sample of children under 2 years of age in
North Carolina”, Frontiers in Child and Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, 2 (36), 1-8
A study found that fathers of 1 year olds with depression were more likely to spank their children. Over
1,700 fathers in cities in the USA were interviewed, of whom 7% had depression; 13% of non-depressed
fathers and 41% of depressed fathers reported spanking their child in the past month, making depressed
fathers nearly 4 times more likely to report spanking. The study authors noted that associations between
maternal depression and spanking have been reported, and that the association may be directly related to
symptoms of depression such as irritability and anger.
Davis, R. N. et al (2011), “Fathers' Depression Related to Positive and Negative Parenting Behaviors With 1-Year-Old
Children”, Pediatrics, published online March 14 2011, www.pediatrics.org
A 2010 report on the Judge Rotenberg Center, a residential facility and school for children and adults
with mental disabilities, found that severe corporal punishment was widespread. Punishments included
electric shocks, long-term restraint, food deprivation and isolation.
Ahern, L. & Rosenthal, E. (2010), Torture not Treatment: Electric Shock and Long-Term Restraint in the United States on
Children and Adults with Disabilities at the Judge Rotenberg Center, Mental Disability Rights International
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Almost two thirds (65%) of three year olds in a sample of nearly 2,000 families had been “spanked” by
one or both parents in the previous month. The study examined the prevalence of corporal punishment
and intimate partner aggression, with 49% of the families reporting both of these. In about 15% of these
families, bilateral aggression or violence between the parents was combined with a single parent spanking
the child.
Taylor C. A. et al (2010), “Use of spanking for 3-year-old children and associated intimate partner aggression or violence”,
Pediatrics, 126, 415-424
A study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,
Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers,
fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in the US 38% of girls and 36% of boys had experienced
“mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the
hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), and 4% of girls and 5% of boys had experienced
severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears) by someone in their
household in the past month. Smaller percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal
punishment to bring up their child: for girls, 17% of mothers and 11% of fathers believed it was
necessary; for boys, 13% of mothers and 16% of fathers.
Lansford, J. et al (2010), “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent
Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics
The CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health 2010 presented various scenarios to
over 1,500 parents of 2-17 year olds and asked how likely they were to use different discipline strategies.
A third said they were very likely to spank (hit with a hand) or paddle (hit with a wooden paddle) their
child. More parents of young children said they were very likely to spank (30% of parents of 2-5 year
olds, 24% of parents of 6 – 12 year olds and 13% of parents of 13-17 year olds), while slightly more
parents of older children said they were very likely to paddle their child (8% for 2-5 year olds, 10% for 6
-12 year olds, and 12% for 13-18 year olds).
C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital, National Poll on Children’s Health, April 16 2010, 9 (4), www.med.umich.
edu/mott/npch/pdf/041510report.pdf
In 2009, a study by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch looked at
corporal punishment of disabled children in American schools. The report, based on data from 202
interviews with parents, students, teachers, administrators, and special education professionals, and
statistics from the Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Education, shows that disabled
students experience a high rate of “paddling” (beating with a wooden paddle). Disabled students made up
18.8% of students who experienced this form of corporal punishment in schools in 2006-7, despite
constituting only 13.7% of the total student population. In the states that use the most corporal
punishment, students with disabilities were up to twice as likely as non-disabled students to experience
this form of corporal punishment. In addition to paddling, students with disabilities were also spanked,
slapped, pinched, dragged across the floor and thrown to the floor. Most instances of corporal punishment
uncovered by the report were in response to minor infractions of the rules such as lateness. Students with
disabilities were also punished for behaviours connected to their disabilities – e.g. students with autism
were punished for rocking, spinning and other behaviours that were a direct result of their condition.
Human Rights Watch & American Civil Liberties Union (2009), Impairing Education: Corporal Punishment of Students with
Disabilities in US Public Schools, www.hrw.org/node/84950
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In 2009, the US Government Accountability Office reviewed legislation on restraint and disciplinary
techniques used in public and private schools and examined student death and abuse from these methods
over the last 20 years. It discovered hundreds of allegations of death and abuse, nearly all of which
involved children with disabilities. In several cases in which these techniques were proven to result in
death or serious injury, the staff involved continued to be employed as educators.
United States Government Accountability Office (2009), Seclusions and Restraints: Selected cases of death and abuse at public
and private schools and treatment centers, www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-719T
A joint report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union published in August 2008
highlighted the extent of corporal punishment of children in schools. 181 interviews were carried out with
parents, teachers, students and administrators, including interviews with 34 young people aged under 18
and 37 former students aged 18-26. The report states that, according to the Office for Civil Rights at the
US Department of Education, more than 200,000 students were punished at least once in the 2006-2007
school year and notes that actual totals may well be higher. African-American students and disabled
students were punished more frequently than others. The interviews focussed on Mississippi and Texas,
where corporal punishment is widely used. They found that corporal punishment is used in response to a
wide range of behaviours, including minor misdemeanours such as drinking in class and dress code
violations. Corporal punishment usually takes the form of “paddling”, or hitting a student on the buttocks
and upper thighs with a wooden paddle. In several cases, this had caused serious injury.
Human Rights Watch & American Civil Liberties Union (2008), A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in US
Schools, www.hrw.org/reports/2008/us0808
A telephone interview survey of 600 adults in each of the 50 states, carried out by SurveyUSA of Verona
NJ in August 2005, found that overall almost three out of four (72%) supported the use of spanking as a
disciplinary method (ranging from 55% in Vermont to 87% in Alabama), with almost one in four (23%)
believing it acceptable for a teacher to spank a child (ranging from 8% in New Hampshire to 53% in
Arkansas and Mississippi). Nearly one third (31%) believed it is acceptable to wash out a child’s mouth
with soap (from 23% in Hawaii, Maryland and Massachusetts to 46% in Idaho).
SurveyUSA, Verona NJ, August 2005, Disciplining a Child 08/24/05, www.surveyusa.
com/50StateDisciplineChild0805SortedbyTeacher.htm
Federal statistics show that during the 2002-3 school year, more than 300,000 American schoolchildren
were disciplined with corporal punishment, usually one or more blows with a thick wooden paddle.
Sometimes holes were cut in the paddle to make the beating more painful. Of those students, 70% were in
five Southern states: Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas.
Reported in New York Times, 30 September 2006
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A large scale comparative study (World Studies of Abuse in the Family Environment (WorldSAFE))
which involved surveys with over 14,000 mothers of children aged under 18, carried out between 1998
and 2003, examined parental discipline in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States.
In the USA, 55% of children experienced “moderate” physical discipline (including being “spanked” on
the buttocks, hit with an object, slapped on the face and having hot pepper put in their mouth). One per
cent of children experienced harsh physical discipline (including being burnt, beaten up, kicked and
smothered). More than a quarter of children (26%) experienced harsh psychological discipline such as
being called names, being cursed and being threatened with abandonment. “Moderate” psychological
discipline, including being yelled or screamed at or being refused food was experienced by 76% of
children. Non-violent discipline, including explaining why a behaviour was wrong and telling a child to
stop, was also widely used (experienced by 92% of children). The study found that rates of harsh physical
discipline were dramatically higher in all communities than published rates of official physical abuse in
any country, and that rates of physical punishment can vary widely among communities within the same
country.
Runyan, D. et al (2010), “International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline”, Pediatrics, published online 2 August 2010,
www.pediatrics.org
In a poll of a nationally representative sample of more than 4,000 adults in the USA, 68% agreed and
23% disagreed that “corporal punishment should be allowed at home, as long as it isn’t excessive”. More
than a third (35%) agreed that “corporal punishment should be allowed at school, as long as it isn’t
excessive”; 56% disagreed. Three-quarters said they had been physically punished as a child and 39%
that they had inflicted corporal punishment on a child.
Ipsos (2014), Ipsos Poll Conducted for Reuters: Corporal Punishment Topline 10.06.2014, Ipsos
A study which tracked corporal punishment of 3-11 year olds from 1975 to 2002 found that 18% fewer
children were slapped or spanked by caregivers in 2002 compared to 1975. However, in 2002, 79% of
preschool-aged children were spanked, and nearly half of children aged eight and nine were hit with an
object such as a paddle or switch.
Zolotor, A. J. et al (2010), “Corporal punishment and physical abuse: population-based trends for three-to-11-year-old children
in the United States”, Child Abuse Review, 20(1), 57-66
Using U.S. Department of Education data from 2011-2012, The Washington Post reported that while 19
states across America still permit school corporal punishment, four southern states account for nearly
60% of students “paddled” in public schools: Mississippi (18.73%), Texas (17.13%), Alabama (16.34%)
and Georgia (7.36%). It also found that on average, a child is hit in a U.S. public school once every 30
seconds, and that African American students constitute about 16% of all public school students but 35%
of those who receive corporal punishment.
Reported in “In this part of the United States, principals still legally hit students”, The Washington Post, 19 October 2015, www.
washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/19/in-this-part-of-the-united-states-principals-still-legally-hit-students/
Corporal punishment is on the decline in Kentucky schools, according to data from the Kentucky Youth
Advocates “Kids Count” data centre: incidents of “paddling” have fallen by almost half in five years,
from 1,569 incidents in 2009 to 823 in 2014.
Reported in "Corporal punishment's decline shows changing culture in schools", Bowling Green Daily News, 24 September
2015, www.bgdailynews.com/news/corporal-punishment-s-decline-shows-changing-culture-in-schools/article_5213995d-58ff
-5e00-be4f-77dc0d810639.html
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Vanuatu
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 more than three quarters
(78%) of children aged 2-14 years old experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or
psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey.
UNICEF (2011), The State of the World’s Children, Table 9: Child Protection, www.unicef.org/sowc, NY: UNICEF
In a study carried out in 2008, 78% of the 265 adults surveyed said they sometimes hit, smacked, pinched,
kicked or flicked children or pulled or twisted their ears. Of the 244 16-17 year olds surveyed, 17% said
they had experienced this from an adult at home in the past month. They said it hurt (25%) or made them
feel angry (20%) or sad (20%). Nearly half the adults (48%) said a child in their household had talked to
them about being hit by an adult in their household in the past month. When children aged 7-11 were
asked which actions they don’t like at home, the most common response, given by 35%, was being hit or
hurt by adults. When asked the same question about school, teachers hitting, smacking or otherwise
hurting children was the second most common response. Twenty-seven per cent of the 16-17 year olds
who attended school said they had been physically hurt by a teacher in the past month; 38% of adults said
a child in their household had told them about being hit by a teacher in the past month. When asked how
the community handles children in conflict with the law, 3% of people working in the justice sector and
community chiefs said physical punishment was used. Interviewees working in the police said parents
sometimes bring their children to the police to be physically punished. Physical punishment was
“occasionally” used by prison officers.
UNICEF & AusAid (2009), Protect me with love and care: A Baseline Report for creating a future free from violence, abuse
and exploitation of girls and boys in Vanuatu, Suva: UNICEF Pacific
A study of 3,054 14-17 year olds found that 7% of boys and 5% of girls had experienced an intentional
injury from a teacher in the past year.
Smith, B. J. et al (2008), “Intentional injury reported by young people in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kingdom of Tonga
and Vanuatu”, BMC Public Health, 8 (145), 1-8, cited in UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (2012), Child
Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, Bangkok: UNICEF
According to a 2005 report, corporal punishment of children was common and understood by many
people to be “part of the personal development process”. Parents, other family members, teachers, police
and village leaders all physically punished children.
Government of Vanuatu & UNICEF (2005), Vanuatu: A Situation Analysis of Children, Women & Youth, Suva: UNICEF
Pacific Office
According to UNICEF statistics collected between 2005 and 2013, 84% of children aged 2-14
experienced “violent discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in
the month prior to the survey. Seventy-two per cent experienced physical punishment and 77%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). A smaller
percentage (51%) of mothers and caregivers thought that physical punishment was necessary in
childrearing.
UNICEF (2014), Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children, NY: UNICEF
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Viet Nam
In a study which involved interviews with 30 men aged 24 and above, all but one of the participants
reported experiencing physical punishment from their parents during childhood. Physical punishment was
most frequently linked to fathers, and related to their role as educator and disciplinarian. Experience of
school corporal punishment was also common. The study found that violence was commonly seen as a
disciplinary tool to establish and maintain men’s authority, most often within the family setting, and that
this was linked to the men’s childhood experiences of corporal punishment. It recommended working to
end school corporal punishment and promoting programmes and awareness on the impact of corporal
punishment on child development as part of preventing gender-based violence.
Duc, D. T. et al (2012), “Teach the wife when she first arrives”: Trajectories and pathways into violent and non-violent
masculinities in Hue City and Phu Xuyen district, Viet Nam, Partners for Prevention, UN Women & UN Population Fund
According to statistics collected in 2010 under round 4 of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
programme (MICS4), 73.9% of children aged 2-14 experienced violent “discipline” (physical punishment
and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month prior to the survey. Fifty-five per cent
experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (17.2%) of mothers and caregivers thought
physical punishment was necessary in childrearing. More than half the children (55.4%) experienced
psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted), 3.5% experienced severe
physical punishment (being hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or being hit over and over with an
implement).
General Statistical Office (2011), Viet Nam Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011, Final Report, Ha Noi: General Statistical
Office
A study on drug detention centres in and around Ho Chi Minh City found that corporal punishment,
including beatings, forced labour and confinement in “punishment rooms”, was common. In 2007, 3.5%
of detainees in Ho Chi Minh City centres were children, and the study included one centre for youths.
Human Rights Watch (2011), The Rehab Archipelago: Forced Labor and Other Abuses in Drug Detention Centers in Southern
Vietnam
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 94% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Nearly two thirds experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (45%)
of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 96% of children. One child in ten was severely
physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an implement), 90%
experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or insulted). Boys were
slightly more likely than girls to experience violent discipline (95% compared to 92%). Children living in
households with adults with a higher average level of education were less likely to experience violent
discipline than those living with less educated adults. No significant differences in children’s experience
of violent discipline were found according to age, household size or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8
countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research
in Viet Nam involved 499 children (225 boys, 273 girls) from urban rural and remote areas, and 306
adults (85 men, 219 women). Methods included research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey,
sentence completion, and discussions. Physical punishments mentioned by children in Viet Nam included
hitting with implements, punching, kicking, pinching, twisting body parts, throwing objects, electric
shocks. At home, punishment by family members included having an arm broken, being beaten on the
buttocks until raw then a mixture of salt and chilli rubbed on the wounds, being beaten with a thick stick,
having an ear twisted until torn and bleeding, electrocution with wires, excess labour, kneeling on the
spiky peel of durian fruit, standing naked outside the house, standing under the weight of a buffalo yoke,
having the head repeatedly submerged in water, hanging on a tree and beaten until unconscious, being
hung on an electricity pole, being hung on a wall by the hands, being hung upside down from a tree, being
tied next to an ants nest, being tied to a bicycle and forced to run alongside it, and being whipped while
hanging from a tree. Punishments by teachers at school included being confined under a bed, standing in
front of class and being denounced by classmates, being hit on the forehead by a ruler thrown by teacher,
being hit on head by a box of chalks, not being allowed to eat, being stripped naked and beaten on the
back, and two children being forced to slap each other on their cheeks. Of those who were hit, 50% were
hit with an implement (34.8% with sticks etc, 15.2% with a whip, lash or belt), 45.5% slapped with the
hand, 4.5% kicked. Of children who mentioned body parts where they were hit, 26% reported being hit on
the head and neck, 27% on the limbs, 11% on the back, 13% buttocks, 5% chest, 4% stomach, and 1%
genitalia. In the home 81% of children experienced physical punishment, 19% emotional punishment; in
school 69% experienced physical punishment, 31% emotional.
Beazley, H. et al (2006), What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of
children in Southeast Asia and Pacific (2005), Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden
A major study into child abuse in Vietnam found that physical punishment was very widespread, with
70% of the 178 children and young people (aged 8-25) who participated reporting having been “spanked”
on the bottom or hand with a hand during their childhood and over half having been hit with an
implement. Participants living in reform schools and social protection centres were more likely to
experience physical punishment than those living elsewhere: 80% had been hit with a hand, 75% with an
implement. The results of the qualitative element of the research suggested that while many adults
thought physical punishment was acceptable, most of the children and young people rejected the use of
physical punishment, believing that more humane and effective forms of discipline could be used instead.
UNICEF Viet Nam (2006), Child Abuse in Viet Nam: Final Report into the Concept, Nature and Extent of Child Abuse in Viet
Nam
According to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, in 2005-2006 64% of girls and women
aged 15-49 thought that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Yemen
A study carried out in 2010, which involved 1,066 12-17 year olds from 8 schools, found that 55.7% had
been slapped on the face, beaten on the head or shoulder, punched, kicked, pinched, had their hair pulled,
had their ears twisted, had their hands crushed, had an object thrown at them, been forced to stand in a
painful position or to stand in the sun and/or had food taken away from them by a teacher or other staff at
school. Teachers were the most common perpetrators. The most common physical punishments were
forcing children to stand in a painful position (experienced by 40%), twisting their ears (34.4%) and
forcing them to stand in the sun (33.9%).
Ba-Saddik, A. S. & Hattab, A. S. (2013), “Physical abuse in basic-education schools in Aden governorate, Yemen: a crosssectional study”, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 19 (4), 333-339
A 2007 study found that children in schools usually experience verbal violence when they do not do their
homework, misbehave in class or do not follow school regulations, with words like “stupid”, “donkey”,
“troublemaker”, etc used to insult them.
Al-Khather, N. (2007), Violence against children from a cultural perspective, cited in Manara Network for Child Rights (2011),
Violence Against Children in Schools: A Regional Analysis of Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen, Beirut: Save the Children Sweden
A 2010 UNICEF analysis of data from 2005-2006 found that 95% of children aged 2-14 experienced
violent “discipline” (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression) in the home in the month
prior to the survey. Eight-six per cent experienced physical punishment, while a smaller percentage (44%)
of mothers and caregivers thought physical punishment was necessary in childrearing; non-violent
discipline was also widely used, experienced by 94% of children. More than four children in ten were
severely physically punished (hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over with an
implement), 93% experienced psychological aggression (being shouted at, yelled at, screamed at or
insulted). Children aged 5-9 were more likely to experience violent discipline than those of other ages
(97% of 5-9 year olds compared to 92% of 2-4 year olds and 95% of 10-14 year olds). No significant
differences in children’s experience of violent discipline were found according to sex, level of education
of adults in the household or engagement in child labour.
UNICEF (2010), Child Disciplinary Practices at Home: Evidence from a Range of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, NY:
UNICEF
A synthesis in 2005 of research on physical and humiliating punishment of children in Yemen found that
almost 90% of children reported that physical and humiliating punishment is the main method of
disciplining them in the family. The most common form of punishment in the home was beating,
especially for girls in rural areas. Severe physical punishment, including hitting with a stick, was more
commonly used against boys in urban areas. Punishments were usually inflicted by mothers and fathers,
but also by elder brothers. Corporal punishment in schools was found to be even more common and more
severe, with over 90% of children reporting that it is the most commonly used form of punishment. A
third of children in social care institutions reported experiencing severe treatment and a further third
reported moderate treatment, including being beaten with a stick. Parents report that punishment usually
begins to be inflicted on children between the ages of 5 and 7 years, though children as young as 1 are
punished, and ceases at the age of 15 years.
Habasch, R. (2005), Physical and Humiliating Punishment of Children in Yemen, Save the Children Sweden
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Prevalence/attitudinal research in the last 10 years
Zambia
A 2010 African Child Policy Forum report on violence against children with disabilities in Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia documented a very high level of violence. Nearly a thousand 18
-24 year olds took part in the study across the five countries, reporting on their experiences as children. In
Zambia, all the respondents had experienced at least one type of physical violence during their childhood:
100% had been denied food, over 50% hit, punched, kicked or beaten and over 25% choked, burnt or
stabbed. Common perpetrators of physical violence included mothers (10.2%), stepmothers (4.9%) and
adult neighbours (18.5%). Across the five countries, 23% said they had experienced physical violence
which was “mostly discipline, reasonable and justified” and 27% which was “mostly discipline but not
reasonable or justified”; 26% said they had experienced emotional violence which was “discipline, but
not reasonable or justified”, 22% that was “disciplinary, reasonable and justified”. Across all five
countries, more than half (54%) of those who had been physically beaten said they had suffered broken
bones, teeth, bleeding or bruising; 2% had been permanently disabled; 21% required medical attention;
13% had to miss school or work; and 20% had needed rest at home. For all five countries, the majority of
respondents with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities experienced physical violence more than 10
times. The report recommends prohibition of all corporal punishment, including in the home, as a way to
minimise the risk of violence against children with disabilities.
The African Child Policy Forum (2010), Violence Against Children With Disabilities in Africa: Field Studies from Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, Addis Ababa: The African Child Policy Forum
A large scale survey conducted by Save the Children in 2005, involving 2,321 children aged 6-18 from all
nine of Zambia’s provinces, looked at children’s experiences of corporal punishment over a two week
period. The findings were also informed by in depth qualitative research with 384 children from four
provinces. Almost a quarter of children (24%) reported experiencing corporal punishment in the home
during the period, including being beaten with hands, sticks and belts. Despite the prohibition of corporal
punishment at school, 32% reported being hit with a hand during the period and 38% with an object, most
commonly a stick or hosepipe. Other punishments included hard physical labour and excessive physical
exercise. Humiliating punishment was reported as being experienced in the home by 43% of children, in
school by 37%. Corporal punishment was more common in low income than high income environments
and more common for younger (6-12) than older (13-18) children. It was most often inflicted by mothers
in the home and by teachers in schools. It was also administered by prefects in boarding schools. Almost
three in four children (70%) felt corporal punishment was unacceptable in the home and in school; 79%
felt humiliating punishment was unacceptable.
Clacherty, G. et al (2005), Zambian Children’s Experiences of Corporal Punishment, Pretoria: Save the Children Sweden
According to statistics from UNICEF relating to the period 2001-2007, of girls and women aged 15-49,
85% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
UNICEF (2009), Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF
Zimbabwe
In a 2009 baseline study carried out by Plan on violence in schools in preparation for the launch of the
“Learn Without Fear” campaign in the country, 67% of children and 35% of teachers surveyed agreed
that corporal punishment was inflicted by all teachers at one point or another, usually unrecorded and
unreported.
Reported in The Zimbabwean, 14 October 2009
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In a survey conducted in 2011, children age 13-17 years were asked about their experience of physical
violence in the 12 months preceding the survey. The results show 44% of boys and 38% of girls had
experienced physical violence perpetrated by their mothers; 46% of boys and 19% of girls experienced
physical violence by their fathers; 95% of boys and 99% of girls experienced physical violence by
teachers. In the same survey, people age 18-24 years were asked about their experience of physical
violence prior to age 18 years, with mostly similar results: 43% of males and 59% of females had
experienced physical violence perpetrated by mothers; 46% of males and 28% of females had
experienced physical violence by fathers, and 95% of males and 99% of females by teachers. The survey
report did not specify the extent to which the physical violence was inflicted in the guise of “discipline”
or punishment.
Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) and UNICEF (2013), National Baseline Survey on Life Experiences of
Adolescents, 2011, Harare: Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT)
A survey conducted in 2014 found that 63% of children age 1-14 years experienced “violent punishment”
(psychological aggression and/or physical punishment) during the month preceding the survey: 53%
experienced psychological aggression, 36% physical punishment and 5% severe physical punishment
(hit/slapped on the face, head or ears and/or beat up, hit over and over as hard as one could). Harare had
the highest percentage of severe physical punishment (8%), Matabeleland South Province the lowest
(2%). Children aged 3-9 years were more likely to be subjected to violent discipline than any other age
group and children in urban areas (68%) were subjected to some form of violent discipline more than
their counterparts in rural areas (61%). On average, 38% of respondents believed that physical
punishment is needed to bring up, raise, or educate a child properly. In contrast, 24% of children
experienced only non-violent discipline.
(Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) (2015), Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014: Final Report,
Harare, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT))
Prepared by the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children
www.endcorporalpunishment.org; [email protected]
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