Date: September 2006

Award-winning Australian NGO recommends legal reform to prohibit corporal punishment by parents

In a report published in September 2006, the Australian Childhood Foundation reviews laws relating to corporal punishment by parents and calls for legal reform across Australia to remove the legal defences of “lawful correction” or “reasonable chastisement” from legislation in every State and territory. The report also publishes new nationwide opinion research which shows a decline in support for corporal punishment and an increasing preference for regarding such punishment as a last resort, but at the same time an alarming increase in the level of support for the use of implements such as canes, sticks, belts and slippers to punish a child.

Pointing to the links between physical punishment and physical abuse, and arguing that it is “absurd to try to draw an arbitrary line between [them]” and that “no lesson should hurt children for it to be learnt”, the report concludes with three recommendations to Government and community:

1. All State Governments should introduce relevant legislation which repeals the defence of “lawful correction” or “reasonable chastisement” of children by parents.
2. State and Federal Governments should co-operate to develop, fund and implement a major national campaign educating the public about not using physical punishment with children and promoting positive parenting approaches to discipline.
3. All sectors of the Australian community should commit themselves to respecting the dignity and physical integrity of all children and young people.

The full report – Crossing the Line: Making the case for changing Australian laws about the physical punishment of children, written by Joe Tucci, Janise Mitchell and Chris Goddard – is available on the website of the Australian Childhood Foundation (www.childhood.org.au).

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