Corporal punishment of children and other forms of abuse are prohibited by law...

picture from Stockholm.

The Swedish ban on corporal punishment celebrated its thirty year existence yesterday.

The Swedish Children's ombudsman writes on his blog about the ban and its anniversary:

A politician said in the debate preceding the ban:

”In a democracy as ours we use words as arguments, not blows. We talk to people and don't beat them. If we can't convince our children with words we can never convince them with violence.”

Thirty years ago, just before the ban, almost 50 percent of the children in Sweden were beaten by their parents. Today one of ten children are beaten. This is a revolutionary change. More and more countries follow in Sweden's footsteps and introduce prohibition against corporal punishment.

At the same time we can't be satisfied until ALL parents have insight, understanding and knowledge to avoid violating and abusing children. Still many thousands of children experience violence in the family, directly or indirectly.

Therefore the best way to celebrate these thirty years, with the law against corporal punishment, is to remind ourselves and others about why the law is there and that it is of an enormous interest today too, ie., it's very important today too. And will always be important.

Parents in exposed situations have to get support and methods to manage their parental responsibility. Children have to get knowledge about their rights. And we have to remind that the law is prohibiting physical violence, but ALSO that other forms of abusive treatment, as imposing shame on the child or isolating the child on its room, methods that sometimes are maintained in 'Nanny-program'' also are prohibited.

See the facebook-cause "To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Swedish ban on corporal punishment."