The role of the civil society in combating corporal punishment against children Maria Herczog Ph.D Member of CRC Committee and EESC Brussels, 30 September, 2008

General Comment 8 of CRC  Right to protection from corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment (para art. 19, 28,37)  “The Committee believes that the implementation of the prohibition of all forms of corporal punishment requires awareness raising guidance and training for all those involved”

General Comment 8 of CRC  “Given the widespread traditional acceptance of corporal punishment, prohibition on its own will not achieve the necessary change in attitude and practice…States must ensure that positive, non-violent relationships and education are consistently promoted to parents, carers, teachers and all others who work with children and families”

General Comment 8 of CRC  „Corporal punishment is in conflict with the child’s human dignity and right to physical integity.”

The role of Europe „The EU abhors the use of corporal punishment in schools, which is outlawed in all EU Member States, and invites all States that have not yet done so to follow suit. The EU welcomes the appeals towards the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and places of detention contained in the Study of the Independent Expert, Professor Pinheiro, and commends the work that the relevant UN agencies and the numerous non-governmental organisations that have actively participated in the study are carrying forward on this important issue.” (Ms. Kirsti Pohjankukka, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, on behalf of the EU)

The role of Europe  “European Parliament expressed in the draft resolution (Provisional 2007/2093 (INI) Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child. The resolution presents the broad lines of this strategy and focuses on some priority aspects, in particular violence against children, poverty/discrimination and migrant children”

The role of Europe “Mainstreaming children’s rights in EU policies requires an urgent call for the implementation of the recommendations made in the UN report on Violence against Children…. The same applies for the prohibition by law of all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment ”

The role of Europe “The Lisbon Reform Treaty creates a new opportunity to realise a European Social Action Programme by giving EU new social objectives: "full employment and social progress, combating exclusion and discrimination, promoting social justice and protection, equality between men and women, solidarity between generations and the protection of the child".

Towards an EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child “The Commission identified children's rights as one of its main priorities in its Communication on Violence against children has been of increasing concern within the EU in recent years. It takes a range of forms, from violence in the family and in schools..” “The Commission identified children's rights as one of its main priorities in its Communication on Violence against children has been of increasing concern within the EU in recent years. It takes a range of forms, from violence in the family and in schools..”

The role of EESC and its position SOC/288/2007 Improving the quality of teacher education 3.2 Schools in turn have become more democratic and more heterogeneous, the product of a society which has also become more diverse, more demanding and more complex. As a result, democracy, equality and diversity have become fundamental concepts of schools today  3.3 The phenomena of immigration, social discrimination, poverty, youth violence, especially in urban areas, and greater job instability and long-term unemployment have “infiltrated” schools and have made teaching more complex and difficult, as well as more unstable and insecure. Often, teachers do not know how to deal with these new phenomena and do not receive the support they would need to do so.

The role of EESC and its position SOC 248 on the Strategy towards a Strategy on the Right of the Child „The EESC welcomes the recently published report of the independent expert, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, for the United Nations study on violence against children. The report "urges states to prohibit all forms of violence against children, in all settings, including all corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices” „The EESC welcomes the recently published report of the independent expert, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, for the United Nations study on violence against children. The report "urges states to prohibit all forms of violence against children, in all settings, including all corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices” “The EESC urges the Commission to consider the appointment of a Special Representative on Violence against Children in order to promote and support the implementation of the recommendations made in the report.”

The role of EESC and its position SOC/257 European Strategy on alcohol-related harm, 2007 “Domestic violence is a serious problem in many countries. The EESC urges specific attention to this issue, given the strong links between domestic violence and heavy drinking...Heavy drinking can involve more acts of violence and more severe violence...A reduction in heavy drinking not only benefits the victims and the perpetrators of violence, but also the children living in such families.”

The role of EESC and the civil society to ban all forms of corporal punishment  Awareness raising, campaigns of good quality information and practice  Providing non-violent alternatives,  Making more visible how does it influence all forms of social behaviour, children’s and adults life, the impact on quality of life  Parent and professional education, self help groups,  Child participation  Lobbying  Research, monitoring, evaluation