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U.S. needs improvement in its treatment of children
Kindness to Children Index shows the U.S. lags in ending corporal punishment of children
(see chart for more information)
Columbus, OH... April 30 2007 --- In observance of SpankOut Day USA April 30th, End Physical Punishment of Children (EPOCH-USA) is releasing its 2007 Kindness to Children Index showing progress being made in giving U.S. children legal protection from corporal punishment. "The overwhelming majority of research studies show corporal punishment to be harmful to children. It sometimes leads to injury and contributes to an anti-social attitude by teaching children that it is permissible to hit younger, weaker persons," says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day chair.
Each state was ranked according to whether it has specifically banned corporal punishment by law in schools, family day care, day care centers and home foster care. States earned ratings of "satisfactory" (no corporal punishment allowed in those settings), "unsatisfactory" (corporal punishment allowed in one of those settings) and "failing" (corporal punishment allowed in two or more settings).
Failing:
Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina have not specifically banned corporal punishment in two or more public settings for children.
Unsatisfactory:
Falling in the "unsatisfactory" group are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
The majority of states receiving an "unsatisfactory" rating permit corporal punishment in schools.
"Twenty-one U.S. states still allow the barbaric practice of hitting school children with boards, an alarming number at odds with l09 nations that have banned school corporal punishment," says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day USA Chair. "It is a practice that is used disproportionately on poor children, children with disabilities, boys and minorities. It leads to injuries of students and lawsuits against school districts."
The 10 worst states, by percentage of students struck by educators in the 2002-2003 school year:
| Rank | State | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 9.1 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 7.6 |
| 3 | Alabama | 5.2 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 4.3 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 2.8 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 2.3 |
| 7 | Georgia | 1.7 |
| 8 | Texas | 1.4 |
| 9 | Missouri | 0.8 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 0.5 |
Satisfactory:
The "satisfactory" rating goes to states that have specific legal bans on corporal punishment of children in schools, family day care, day care centers and home foster care. States with "satisfactory" ratings are: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
No Outstanding Rating:
No states received an "outstanding" rating because corporal punishment of children in homes is allowed in all states. In 2005, there were l49,319 confirmed cases of physical abuse of children, almost all of them beginning as "discipline". Child abuse prevention experts estimate that actual cases of physical abuse may be 20-50 times higher than confirmed reports. See a state-by-state chart of physical abuse numbers for more information.
The U.S. lags behind many nations that prohibit corporal punishment of children in all settings including homes.
At least 16 European nations have banned corporal punishment of children in all settings in order to protect children from abuse and to give children a right that adults have to be free from physical harm. Countries banning all corporal punishment are: Sweden (1979); Finland (1983); Norway (1987); Austria (1989); Cyprus (1994); Denmark (1997); Latvia (1998); Croatia (1999); Germany (2000); Bulgaria (2000), Iceland (2003); Romania (2004); Ukraine (2004), Hungary (2004), Greece (2006); and Netherlands (2007). In addition, a Supreme Court judgment in Italy (1996) declared all corporal punishment to be unlawful and Israel has banned its use in all settings. At least six more European countries are moving toward full reform of the law: Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
EPOCH-USA urges all states to end corporal punishment of children in all settings through education and legal reform. Information about corporal punishment status of use, laws and alternatives as well as parent training and support materials can be found at www.stophitting.org
In observance of SpankOut Day USA April 30th, EPOCH-USA thanks all parents who use non-violent parenting practices, encourages those who still hit children for disciplinary reasons to seek out positive parenting programs in their communities, and asks non-profit organizations to provide informational programs on positive discipline for parents and caregivers on this date. See US and international SpankOut Day programs at:
http://www.stophitting.com/spankOut/2007SpankOutDayEvents.php
EPOCH-USA is a program of the Center for Effective Discipline, a non-profit organization which distributes information about the effects of corporal punishment of children and alternatives. For further details about the Kindness to Children Index, call Nadine Block at 614-221-8829 or search the website www.stophitting.org