Ending Legalized Violence Against Children: Global progress to December 2015

The year 2015 has witnessed a milestone in progress towards universal prohibition of corporal punishment of children: now, more than half of UN member states have achieved prohibition in all settings or are committed to doing so. Since the Initiative published the global report for 2014, four states – Andorra, Benin, Ireland and Peru – have prohibited all corporal punishment, including in the home, bringing the total number of prohibiting states to 48. There are now 52 other states where Governments have made a commitment to prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings; in many, draft laws or bills are under discussion which would achieve prohibition.

But despite these significant advances, progress is not smooth. In some states, laws have been enacted which reassert justifications and authorisations for corporal punishment of children. In others, draft laws or bills which include prohibition have been amended or dropped at the last minute and efforts must be redoubled to reinstate prohibiting provisions. Laws against family or gender-based violence continue to be enacted which ignore the most common form of violence against girls and boys – violent punishment by parents and carers. This global progress report provides details on progress or lack thereof towards ending violence against children in 2015.