April 30 is No Hitting Day
Parents and caregivers can mark No Hitting Day on April 30 by vowing never to leave a mark on a young person on this or any future day, and by learning non-physical ways to 
discipline.
“Most parents or caregivers mean well when they use physical punishment,” says Judi Fairholm, national director for RespectED at the Canadian Red Cross. “Parenting can be trying and tiring, and all parents get angry. But discipline should be about teaching correct behavior, not punishing through force and fear.” RespectED is the national educational program that works to reduce abuse and violence, particularly against young people.
While hitting may lead to compliance in the short term, study after study finds it has negative short and long-term consequences. For example, children who are hit in the home are far more likely to engage in violent behaviour, and less likely to internalize values like empathy, honesty and sound judgement. Physical punishment in childhood has also been linked to bullying, dating violence and aggression later in life.
And significantly, almost 70% of assault injuries against children are the result of physical punishment that escalated. “We need a shift in thinking. If you never use physical force to punish, you aren’t likely to hit in a rage, and the violence can’t escalate,” Fairholm explains.
Alternatives to hitting a child
Research indicates that over 90% of those who harm young people are family members, most in a parental or caregiving role. And the most at risk for serious harm or death from a physical blow: infants in their first year.
Fairholm notes that in countries where all physical punishment has been outlawed for years, such as Sweden, and where public messaging campaigns have changed public attitudes, the incidence of child abuse and of interpersonal violence is dramatically reduced.
Unfortunately, a lack of parental education leaves many parents with only the model of their own upbringing to follow, creating a cycle of harsh punishment that can only be stopped through knowledge. Fairholm says it’s critical that parents understand the developmental stages that children and youth pass through, and that toddler temper tantrums and adolescent rebellion are normal parts of growing up, not signals that a child is going to go off the deep end if they aren’t controlled through physical force.
RespectED at the Red Cross offers adult workshops on a variety of abuse and violence related topics. Online learning in prevention courses and workshops are available this spring.
“We all need to be aware of the risks associated with physical punishment, and educated about alternatives.” She notes that No Hitting Day on April 30 is a good time to start thinking about alternatives—and hopes it could lead to solutions that are habit forming.
Learn more about Alternatives to hitting a child»
For more information or to arrange an interview on this subject, contact Judi Fairholm, judi.fairholm@redcross.ca ; (604) 709-6640.
