Child Discipline Law

The Families Commission believes very strongly that healthy, positive relationships within families do not include people hitting each other.

It supports the law change that took effect in May 2007 giving children the same legal protection against assault as it gave adults. This law change removed the defence that allowed parents to claim they were using reasonable force to discipline their children if they were charged with assaulting them. It also sent a clear signal that hitting children is not OK and brings us closer to being a violence-free society.

As part of the law change, parents are being encouraged to raise their children without raising their hands. Non-physical (positive parenting) strategies for disciplining their children - include those taught in the SKIP programme or can be found through Plunket and Barnardos services around New Zealand.

Useful resources

New Zealand

The Office of the Children's Commissioner has a number of reports on national and international research findings about the physical discipline of children, as well other other information on effective discipline of children.

• The Discipline and Guidance of Children: a research summary
  [PDF, 590KB]
• Children are Unbeatable: 7 very good reasons for not hitting children
  [PDF, 500KB]

EPOCH - Official site of the voluntary organisation End Physical Punishment of Children in New Zealand

SKIP - Information for parents to help guide the development of young children, including strategies for managing their behaviour

International

End Corporal Punishment - official website of the global campaign

Children are Unbeatable - United Kingdom site with useful parenting resources and information about the debate in the UK