CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 31
Plain English recommendation
Government should: (a) Ban corporal punishment in all settings and remove the legal defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ in England and Northern Ireland. (b) Review how the laws banning corporal punishment in Scotland, Wales and Jersey are being put into practice and what effect they are having, and use this to develop ways to change attitudes to corporal punishment in all settings; (c) Introduce campaigns for parents, teachers and anyone working with and for children, about ways to bring up children that are positive, non-violent and take account of children’s views.
Original UN recommendation
Recalling its previous recommendations, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Explicitly prohibit, as a matter of priority, corporal punishment in all settings, including in the home, throughout the State party, including the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and repeal legal defences of “reasonable punishment” in England and Northern Ireland; (b) Monitor the implementation and impact of legislation prohibiting corporal punishment, including in Scotland, Wales and Jersey, with a view to informing measures aimed at promoting attitudinal change concerning corporal punishment in all settings; (c) Strengthen awareness-raising campaigns for parents, teachers and other professionals working with and for children, to promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing.
Date of UN examination
18/05/2023
UN article number
19, 24 (3), 28 (2), 34, 37 (a), 39
Original UN document
Download the original CRC concluding observations 2023 on the UN website.