Legislation has been tabled before the upper house of the state
parliament of New South Wales which, if passed, will rule that it is
unlawful for children to be hit around the head and to be hit with
objects/implements. However, children will still be able to be
lawfully hit by those entrusted with their care. The legislation is
entitled Crimes Amendment (Child Protection-Excessive Punishment)
Bill 2000. (Long Title: An Act to amend the Crimes Act 1900 to limit
the use of excessive physical force to discipline children.)
This amendment is a private member's bill proposed by MP Alan
Gordon Corbett who represents the NSW state parliamentary party
called "A Better Future for our Children". The bill was recently
deferred to be considered again before the upper house in February
2001. The petition has evolved in response to my clear conviction
that children should not be able to be lawfully hit by those
entrusted with their care, including hitting children within the
parameters defined by the Corbett bill.
In terms of social progress, I consider the proposed amendment a
definite improvement on the current legislative situation in NSW.
There is an urgent need to provide clearer child protection
legislation, and I initially decided to support the proposed
amendment for this reason.
My original petition (November 2000) in support of the proposed
amendment can be read HERE.
Despite the inevitable reactionary controversy, I am heartened by
the fundamental attitudinal shifts in our society regarding the
corporal punishment of children as reflected in the high level of
public support the proposed amendment has generated. However, it is
my personal and professional belief as a NSW School Psychologist,
that this proposed amendment still does not go far enough towards
ensuring legal protection for children in the prevention of physical
abuse. I have worked over the past 15 years with many children who
have been profoundly traumatised by physical abuse justified as
"reasonable punishment" or "parental discipline". Many such children
had not been hit around the head or with objects, but had
nevertheless been severely traumatised by having been slapped,
beaten, shaken etc, (often frequently) by those entrusted with their
care. After much soul searching I have decided that I cannot support
any legislation that maintains the principle that children can be
legally hit using any justification of "reasonable" force, even with
the clearer parameters provided by the Corbett bill..
The following link will take you to the revised petition. If you
also believe strongly in the need for improved child protection
legislation, and agree with the wording of the petition, it may be
downloaded. You may want to include less or more space for signatures
before printing and circulating the petition to like-minded
colleagues, friends and acquaintances.
If you don't currently have the address or phone number for your
local member of state parliament you can obtain this from the
Government Information Service on 1800 463955
Your opinion can promote still more effective advocacy for NSW
children if in addition to petitioning, visiting or writing to your
local State MP, you also lobby the Premier, c/o Parliament House,
Macquarie St Sydney 2000, and the Attorney General The Hon. Bob
Debus, at the same address, via a short personal letter.
The following links provide examples of
research findings and international precedents which could be useful
for letter-writing in support of the Corbett Bill:
Project NoSpank is a resource for students, parents, educators,
health care professionals, policy makers, and everyone who believes
that children's optimal development occurs in nurturing,
violence-free environments and that every child has the right to grow
and learn in such an environment.
Note: This is a very large site with lots of relevant
information. A summary of reasons to reject all corporal punishment
of children can be found at:
The decision that spanking is constitutional is strikingly
retrograde, says lawyer Corinne Robertshaw (founder Canada's Repeal
43 committee):
email:
nswpetition@yahoo.com.au