Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance
Update (October 08):
Update (May 08):
The Children & Young Persons Bill, currently before the House of Commons, provides a serious opportunity to modernise the law on assault to give children equal protection.
Update (Dec):
Children and young people are invited to become involved in this campaign.
This is a great opportunity to work with other children and young people to change the law and make a difference. Children and young people will be able to get involved in a variety of ways - actions they might take range from holding meetings at youth groups, to distributing posters, to meeting decision-makers and those in power to discuss the campaign.
Children and young people who become involved in the campaign will always be treated with respect, and their ideas and opinions will be listened to. Those who become most involved will work together as a group to decide how they will campaign with the alliance.
News (July):
The Government has launched a review of the current law allowing parents and others to justify common assault of children as "reasonable punishment" (section 58 of the Children Act 2004). The Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance believes that section 58 is unjust and unsafe, and campaigns for children to have the same protection under the law on assault that adults take for granted. To take part in the review and send this clear message to the Government, click here.
In general:
This is by far the most important action that we have asked you to take since Parliament voted on this issue in 2004. As you may be aware, the Government has announced a review of section 58 of the Children Act 2004 - the provision which allows parents and others to continue to justify common assault of children as “reasonable punishment”. Sadly, meeting human rights obligations under United Nations and European agreements is not the primary focus of this review. But it is a real opportunity to get across the message to the Government that the current unjust law fails to satisfy these obligations and that equal protection from assault is every child’s human right. So please make contributing to this consultation a high priority in the coming weeks. The deadline for receipt of responses is 10 August 2007, but please send in your view as soon as possible. A short briefing outlining what to do is attached; a more detailed briefing is available on request. As well as a formal submission from your organisation, we would be very grateful if you would: + Encourage staff practitioners - parenting experts, social workers, health professionals, early years carers etc - to make their own response. + Encourage different sections of your organisation to contribute eg specialist committees, local projects, regional structures etc. + Encourage supporters, members or local branches/groups to take part. Thank you. Your contribution to this review is vital and will help move us another step closer to achieving equal protection for children. Responding to the review
Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance 94 White Lion Street London N1 9PF
Tel: 0207 713 0569
Web: www.childrenareunbeatable.org.uk
Email: info(at)endcorporalpunishment.org
EQUAL PROTECTION FROM ASSAULT IS EVERY CHILD’S HUMAN RIGHT
The Alliance for Childhood supports the Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance which campaigns for the UK to satisfy human rights obligations by modernising the law on assault to afford children the same protection as adults. We believe that hitting children is as unacceptable as hitting anyone else and should be equally unlawful. The Alliance is the broadest campaign coalition ever assembled on a children’s issue, bringing together more than 400 organisations and many more individuals.
Update! April 5th
You may have recently received a standard reply from a DfES official concerning an email or letter you sent earlier this year (note: your email/letter responded to the email/letter you received in reply to your original email/letter to the Secretary of State for Education & Skills Alan Johnson).
AT THE END OF THIS UPDATE please see a model response to this latest DfES position which we would be very grateful if you would send by email or post.
It is vital that we now tackle the Minister about the proposed review of the current law allowing "reasonable punishment" of children (section 58 of the Children Act 2004), which is mentioned in the email/letter.
BY EMAIL
Address your email for the attention of Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Education & Skills. Insert your name and contact details, and quote your reference number (which should be on the email/letter you received from the DfES official). Use the email address info(at)dfes.gsi.gov.uk
BY POST
Address your letter to Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Education & Skills. Insert your name and postal address, and quote your reference number (which should be on the email/letter you received from the DfES official). Post to:
Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Secretary of State for Education & Skills
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
MANY THANKS.
+++MODEL RESPONSE
Dear Alan Johnson
Thank you for the email/letter which I recently received from a DfES official.
I am glad that my views will be taken into account in your review of section 58 of the Children Act 2004. To summarise for your records, my view is that the current law is unjust and unsafe, and that we should move immediately to satisfy our human rights obligations by modernising the law on assault to give children equal protection. Hitting children, whether we dress it up as "smacking" or "slapping", is wrong and the law should say so.
I understand that your review will take place this year, two years on from the "reasonable punishment" provision coming into force in January 2005.
As you will be aware, since the "reasonable punishment" provision was voted on by the last Parliament in 2004, the bodies responsible for monitoring implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Social Charter have confirmed unequivocally that conformity with these treaties requires that children have the same legal protection as adults under the law on assault
I would be very grateful if you would give a commitment that the top priority of your review will be meeting human rights obligations under these important UN and Council of Europe agreements.
I would also appreciate you letting me have more detail about the timing of this review. We are now well into 2007 and I had expected the process to be underway, with a view to completing the review as soon as possible this year.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
+++MODEL RESPONSE ENDS
NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS MOTION!
PLEASE WRITE TO MP'S TODAY
The Government is committed to reviewing section 58 of the Children Act 2004 - the legal defence that allows parents and others to continue to justify common assault of children as "reasonable punishment" - in 2007 (two years on from its January 2005 commencement).
The Alliance is pressing for this review to be rooted in equality and human rights considerations. We believe it should be completed without delay and this Parliament should consider reforming the law at the earliest opportunity.
Supporters of the Alliance in the House of Commons have tabled an Early Day Motion setting out this position (primary sponsor Greg Pope MP):
[text of motion]
Early Day Motion 606
REVIEW OF REASONABLE PUNISHMENT
That this House notes that in January 2007 the Government intends to review section 58 of the Children Act 2004, which maintains the `reasonable punishment' defence in relation to common assault of children; further notes that since the last Parliament voted on this provision, the bodies responsible for monitoring implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Social Charter have confirmed unequivocally that conformity with these treaties requires that children have the same legal protection as adults under the law on assault; believes that the primary focus of any review of this provision should be meeting these equality and human rights obligations; and further believes that any review should be completed without delay and that this Parliament should reconsider this provision at the earliest opportunity.
[motion text ends]
PLEASE ASK MPS WITH WHOM YOU WORK TO SIGN THIS EDM.
PLEASE ALSO ASK STAFF, MEMBERS AND/OR SUPPORTERS TO WRITE TO THEIR MPS.
BY EMAIL
To email your MP, click here http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm
BY POST
Write to your MP at:
[first and surname] MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
KEY MESSAGES FOR YOUR EMAIL/LETTER
+ Please sign Early Day Motion 606 "Review of reasonable punishment".
+ The current law (section 58 of the Children Act 2004) is unjust and unsafe.
+ Section 58 does not satisfy human rights obligations under important international treaties.
+ Section 58 undermines the promotion of positive, non-violent discipline.
+ Section 58 sends a dangerous message about the acceptability of violence against children.
+ The only credible way to clarify the law is to give children equal protection from assault.
+ The law should send the clear message that hitting children is as unacceptable as hitting anyone else.
+ The proposed review of section 58 by the Government should be completed without delay.
+ The primary focus of this review should be equality and human rights.
+ Parliament should consider reforming the law at the earliest opportunity.
CHECK WHICH MPS HAVE SIGNED EDM 606...
Click here http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi/
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information or advice.
THANK YOU.