Press Release Summary: EPOCH-USA is trying to end corporal punishment of children. This year is the l0th anniversary of SpankOut Day USA April 30th. SpankOut Day is modeled after the \"Great American Smokeout\" and EPOCH-USA hopes that education and legal reform will help end corporal punishment of children as smoking has been greatly reduced.
Nationally known speakers on child abuse prevention and child discipline are available for interview
EPOCH-USA wants to end corporal punishment of children. In l998 the organization initiated SpankOut Day USA April 30th to bring attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote effective, non-violent discipline alternatives. The observance is modeled after the “Great American Smokeout”. EPOCH-USA wants to see a reduction in corporal punishment of children like we have seen in smoking over the last 20 years. “Not all smokers die of lung cancer and not all children who are hit for discipline are physically abused: however, both practices are harmful and need to be eliminated,” says Nadine Block, SpankOut Day USA Chair.
Thousands of parents and caregivers have participated in SpankOut Day information events where they learn alternatives to hitting children. Six hundred agencies, schools and churches have received mini-grants to support SpankOut events in the last l0 years. The observance has spread to other countries where it is sometimes called “No Hitting Day”.
Why do we need to end corporal punishment? One reason is to reduce physical abuse of children. Physical abuse almost always starts out as “discipline”, adults striking children with hands, sticks, whips, electric cords or other objects. A recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) study showed that about 4,000 babies under a week of age were reported as physically abused ( \"Nonfatal Maltreatment of Infants -- United States, October 2005–September 2006\"). In another CDC report, almost one-third of adults reported suffering physical abuse in childhood with such experiences linked to negative health outcomes like alcoholism and depression (“The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan”).
Child advocates provide another reason for ending corporal punishment of children. Children should have the right all other humans have to be free from physical harm. We can’t legally hit spouses, employees, neighbors or even our neighbor’s dogs. Twenty three nations have banned all corporal punishment of children, even in homes, leading to a significant decline in physical abuse and affording children protection from physical harm.
On this l0th anniversary of SpankOut Day, EPOCH-USA is proud to annouce that hitting of children is declining in the US. It is banned by almost all states states in child care, foster care and in institutions for children. Parental use of corporal punishment is declining and 29 states have banned it in schools.
SpankOut Day April 30th is a start on ending corporal punishment of children. EPOCH-USA says “Every day should be ‘SpankOut Day’!”
SpankOut Day Events: http://www.stophitting.com/spankOut/2008SpankOutDayEvents.php
Web Site: http://www.stophitting.org
Contact Details: Nadine Block, co-chair of EPOCH-USA and chair of SpankOut Day USA l55 W Main Street #1603, Columbus, OH 43215
2012
