Research and children

RESEARCH AND CHILDREN

"In conceptualising violence, the Committee recommends that the critical starting point and frame of reference be the experience of children themselves..."

(UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Recommendations following Day of General Discussion on "Violence against Children within the Family and in Schools", 28 September 2001)

It is crucial that children are involved in research on corporal punishment, with appropriate safeguards and standards of confidentiality. Only children can tell us the real nature and extent of corporal punishment as it is being used today, and only children can tell us how it feels physically and emotionally to receive such punishment. Retrospective studies of adults' childhood experiences are important but do not tell us what is happening to children now. Adults' own accounts of inflicting corporal punishment on the children in their care are likely to be unreliable. There are relatively few in-depth studies involving children, but their number is increasing. This section describes some of the significant studies that have been carried out to date.

The Global Initiative welcomes additions to this section: please send details of other studies, with full references, to info@endcorporalpunishment.org.

Bangladesh
Informal interviews with children about corporal punishment at school and home

Belize
Corporal punishment: A situational analysis

Brazil
Hitting Mania

Cambodia
Children's perceptions of corporal punishment in schools
Children's views on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Cambodia 2000-2004

Chile
Young people in conflict with the law

China
Interviews with Tibetan children

Colombia
Interviews with 5-6 year olds

Costa Rica
National Survey of Children and Adolescents on Physical Punishment

East Asia and the Pacific
Speaking Out! Voices of Children and Adolescents in East Asia and the Pacific

Ethiopia
"Treat us as people! Hear what we say! We want respect!"

Europe and Central Asia
Young Voices

Georgia
Interviews with 6-17 year olds