Associations for the defense of children’s rights are mobilizing for Belgium to ban so-called “ordinary” educational violence. Slaps, spankings, even insults, which are already punishable by law in more than 60 countries around the world. With us, several texts are under study, but the work is progressing very slowly.
The slaps, spankings or stings of anger once morest a child: this is what is called so-called “ordinary” educational violence. Should they be banned? We asked the question to some parents in Brussels. Responses are mixed.
“Give a slap, I think it’s too much. Me, I’m more for a spanking, I think there’s a big difference“says a mom.”From the moment we give information to the child in a non-verbal way, where it is emotional, where there is rage, the child disconnects with the information he receives.“, adds another mother. “Sometimes, us parents, we don’t have the resources, because we’re tired or stressed, and then we can lose our control a little.“, concludes a third mother.
It’s a situation of stress, of fear
According to specialists, educational violence can have serious consequences on the development of the child. “It is a situation of stress, of fear. The child begins to fear the adult who educates him. It is often parents or professionals who are overwhelmed by children and who resort to what has long been considered the best way to do“, explains Bernard De Vos, general delegate for the rights of the child.
An awareness campaign has been broadcast since Friday: actors take up the words of children regarding the violence they suffer.
Immobility on the issue in Belgium
For years, the general delegate for the rights of the child has been asking for a ban to be passed. A text has been discussed in the House for only a month. “It’s the idea of providing a framework, a limit from which we can start great promotional campaigns, other ways of educating our children, prevention. Children have the right to a non-violent upbringing“, specifies Bernard De Vos. “In Belgium, we hang out. It has been since the beginning of my mandate, more than 12 years ago, that we have been confronted with a lack of progress in this area. There are several proposals that have been made available to parliamentarians that have not resulted in a law“.
Sweden was the first country to adopt a law once morest educational violence. Today, they are more than sixty in the world.