Prohibiting Violent Punishment of Girls and Boys: A key element in ending family violence

As of February 2015, 44 states prohibit by law all corporal punishment of children in the home and all other settings. Today, law reforms against domestic violence are underway in at least 34 states.

This briefing, published by the Global Initiative to End Violence against Children and Save the Children, reviews those reasons set forth by international agreements and treaties as to why national legal systems that fail to prohibit corporal punishment of children in all settings are failing to fulfil their obligations to protect children from this form of violence. Corporal punishment is always a human rights violation.

This briefing also calls upon an ever growing bank of research that demonstrates the close links between corporal punishment of children and violence in intimate relationships between adults. The argument is supported that ending violent punishment of girls and boys is also an essential element in ending partner violence.