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END PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT OF AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN

PAFRA are working with stakeholders across Australia to change legislation and end corporal punishment.

Resources

  • Is it Time Australia Banned Smacking? Parenting and Personalities, 17 May 2023. Listen here. 

  • Corporal Punishment, ABC Behind the News, produced by Joseph Baronio, 17 May 2023.  Watch video here.

  • Sophie Havighurst, Ben Mathews, Frances Doyle, Divna Haslam, Karl Andriessen, Carmen Cubillo, Sharon Dawe, David Hawes, Cynthia Leung, Trevor Mazzucchelli, Alina Morawska, Sarah Whittle, Carys Chainey, and Daryl Higgins (2023). Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100044

  • Early data from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study released at the AIFS Conference June 2022, Presented by Daryl Higgins. Available online here.

  • Petition to end physical punishment of Australian children: https://www.change.org/p/end-physical-punishment-of-children-protect-australian-children

  • Daryl Higgins and Sophie Havighurst, Research shows it’s harmful to smack your child, so what should parents do instead? The Conversation, 26 July 2022  https://theconversation.com/research-shows-its-harmful-to-smack-your-child-so-what-should-parents-do-instead-186739

  • Daryl Higgins and Sophie Havighurst, Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform, Briefing paper, 2022. Download here.

  • Divna M. Haslam, Eva Malacova, Daryl Higgins, Franziska Meinck, Ben Mathews, Hannah Thomas, David Finkelhor, Sophie Havighurst, Rosana Pacella, Holly Erskine, James G. Scott, David Lawrence (2024). The prevalence of corporal punishment in Australia: Findings from a nationally representative survey. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 147. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.301

Workshop 1: April 29, 2022

Having the conversation: What is the role of legislative change and access to parenting supports in preventing corporal punishment of children in Australia?

This virtual workshop brought together international experts in legislation, social impact and academic research.  Coinciding with International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children, the workshop launched our collective action towards legislative change in Australia. 


Recordings from the workshop are available below. 

Part 1
Current legal perspective on Australian state/territory laws on corporal punishment

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Linda Savage
Ambassador for Children and Young People in Western Australia

Part 2

Corporal punishment law change – what does it mean for Indigenous Australians?

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Kelleigh Ryan
Psychologist; Director, The Seedling Group

Part 3

Corporal punishment and its impact on children, plus the Canadian experience.

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Professor Joan Durrant
University of Manitoba, Canada

Part 4

Update and lessons from the USA.

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Professor George Holden
South Methodist University, USA

Part 5

Lessons learned from Ireland.

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Jillian van Turnhout

Former Irish Senator, leader of Irish campaign for legislative change

Part 6

What worked for NZ and what might we apply to Australia?

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Beth Wood
Lead campaigner for corporal punishment legislative change in New Zealand

Part 7

Lessons learned from Wales.

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Professor Sally Holland
Cardiff University; former Children’s Commissioner, Wales

Part 8

Where are we at in Australia? Reflecting on other countries’ experiences and our next steps.

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Anne Hollonds
Australian National Children’s Commissioner

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