Ending legalised violence against children. Report for Latin America Legal Consultation

Save the Children Sweden together with the Global Initiative to end all Corporal Punishment of Children have made a detailed analysis of the legislation on corporal punishment in Latin America. This report reviews law and policy in relation to corporal punishment of children in each state in the Latin American region. It makes recommendations for law reform and other measures. All the states in the region have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Whilst all states have prohibited corporal punishment as a sentence, only 13 have not explicitly prohibited it as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions. This ironically co-exists with child protection systems. Corporal punishment is also reported in domestic and other situations of child labour. Recommendations include:

• explicitly prohibit all violence against children, including all corporal punishment, in the family and in all other settings;
• ensure awareness-raising of children’s right to protection, promotion of non-violent child-rearing and education;
• review the extent of violent victimisation of children, including in the family, through interview studies with children themselves, parents and other carers;
• review safeguards to protect children from all forms of violence.