CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN IS NOT GOOD PARENTING

An article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal is strongly advocating for the removal of section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada which permits parents and teachers to use corporal punishment in the name of discipline. Corporal punishment is a form of assault and if used against any other human being would be considered assault under the Criminal Code. Section 43 states in part “… a parent is justified in using force by way of correction … if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.”  Using corporal punishment is a poor excuse for effective parenting and instead of using section 43 as a protection against criminal prosecution, parents who use hitting, spanking or more serious assaults leaving an injury, need education around more effective approaches to positive parenting. “To have a specific code excusing parents is to suggest that assault by a parent is a normal and accepted part of bringing up children.” See the editorial in the CMA Journal at: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/184/12/1339