Ending physical and humiliating punishment against children

Violence against children in Eastern and Central Africa is too common and deep rooted in daily lives of the society at all levels. Most violence acts are deliberately committed against children in the hope that the actions shall bring about behaviour change. In other circumstances, violent acts are perpetrated as a way of expressing adults’ anger and power over children. One of the many forms of violence against children is physical and humiliating punishment which is widely tolerated by the society and in some circumstances permitted by the law of the land.

Save the Children Sweden aims to promote the rights of the child as stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other international treaties as a tool for increased protection of children. It believes that a lot of the concerns associated with the practice of physical and humiliating punishment lies on the behaviour and attitudes of the society and lack of sufficient legal protection. All these need to be analysed and understood before embarking on treating the concerns and the gaps. And, in order to have a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem, the causes and manifestation of the practice of physical and humiliating punishment, more systematically documented information is extremely essential. Save the Children Sweden has seised the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children as an opportunity to seek relevant information that could increase insight and provoke interest on the deep rooted practice of physical and humiliating punishment of children in various countries. The report reveals the origins of the practice of physical and humiliating punishment against children and also provides sufficient information on the consequences of the practice.

We hope that these reports are received with great interest among academicians, practitioners, policy makers, parents, teachers and children.