April 30 marks the International Day of Action to End All Corporal Punishment of Children. As part of building global momentum to end all forms of violence against children (as captured in Sustainable Development Goal 16.2), Save the Children South Africa (SCSA), alongside the End Violence Global Partnership, is encouraging individuals, government, and organisations to commit to ending corporal punishment against children. 
In South Africa, corporal punishment is already prohibited by law both in the school and home settings. However, it is still practiced in some of our schools and homes. 
 
Corporal punishment is the most common form of physical and emotional abuse against children worldwide, leading to the injury and death of thousands of children each year.
 
“ Corporal punishment is a severe violation of a child’s right to human dignity, physical integrity, healthy development and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. It could also be harmful to development, affecting a range of health and social outcomes. Unbelievably, such violence is seldom considered abuse,” says SCSA CEO Steve Miller. 
 
As SCSA, we are calling on government and civil society to: 

 -   Commit to accelerating the elimination of corporal punishment, by drawing up and implementing a national plan that includes public education campaigns, positive parenting support for change to parents and caregivers, promotion of safe schools and communities. 

-    Listen to and involve children: Government, civil society, international agencies and partners must formalise and fund processes to ensure meaningful, safe and active inclusion of children in efforts to end violence. Children are part of the solution!

SCSA works extensively with caregivers and educators to help them understand the impact of violence on children and to replace violent child rearing practices with positive parenting.  
      
                                                     ENDS

For more information or to set up interviews contact: Sibusiso Khasa on 073 449 6871 or [email protected]