Children Are Unbeatable

Published by the Office of the Children's Commissioner, UNICEF New Zealand and the Families Commission, this document helps us to better understand the issues around the need for us to change our behaviour and treat our children more respectfully.

In 2004 my Office commissioned an extensive review of research into the discipline and guidance of children. This review found that the use of physical punishment increases the likelihood of disruptive or ‘bad’ behaviour, and can lead to other poor outcomes for children. Physical punishment is experienced by children as anger from adults that leaves them confused and resentful. We learnt that physical punishment does not contribute to helping our children behave well in the medium or longer term, and that there are more effective ways of guiding their behaviour.

A more recent study of young New Zealanders by the Otago University School of Medicine, published in January 2006 in the New Zealand Medical Journal, found that four out of fi ve had been physically punished as children. Interestingly, those in the study reported that often the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Some children had been severely physically punished for small offences, even for just being in the same room as an angry parent.

Physical punishment is a long-held tradition in our society and one practised across all cultures within it. It disadvantages children from all ethnic groups. It’s time to respond to the evidence by changing our behaviour. I believe that changing this tradition will benefi t all of our children and wider society in the years to come. This booklet sets out to answer many of the questions that people are asking, and it achieves that goal well b responding in an informed and informal way. 

Children are Unbeatable is a wonderful resource to help us better understand the issues surrounding the need for behaviour change towards more positive and respectful treatment of our children. This booklet provides seven very good reasons not to smack children, along with practical guidance on managing children’s behaviour without the use of physical punishment. It is intended primarily for those involved in educating and influencing parents, and parents and the public will also benefit from reading it.

My thanks to Rhonda Pritchard and George Hook for producing this resource, to Denise Durkin for her illustrations, and to UNICEF and the Families Commission for their support of this project.

Dr Cindy Kiro (Children’s Commissioner)