Our goal is to educate parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals on the detrimental outcomes of physical discipline, provide research-based, sustainable, non-violent, and equitable alternatives to raising, teaching and being with children. Below you will find FREE RESOURCES, including links to articles, podcasts, workshops, and research to help you learn how to guide your children and set boundaries without resorting to spanking, yelling, shaming, and other punitive techniques; real-life tools to help you deal with your own overwhelming emotions, such as anger and guilt; and how to create a daily practice of intentional, peaceful parenting.

Every family and classroom can learn how to nurture responsibility, critical thinking and compassion in an environment free of spanking, yelling and shame.

STEP 1

Read and watch the FREE resources below and learn developmentally appropriate alternatives to spanking, yelling, isolation, coercion, & threats.

STEP 2

Become an Ambassador for Children through the The U.S. Alliance to End The Hitting of Children to help end the legalized hitting of children students in your state.

STEP 3

Talk to your pediatrician about how s/he can protect children and align with their professional organization by setting up a No Hit Zone.

STEP 4

Discover more resources and alternatives at StopSpanking.Org


Mom Vertical

Alternatives to Spanking

A discussion on why spanking is dangerous, research-based alternatives to spanking, and how to have important conversations about spanking with others.


Why should we stop spanking?

Children are the only living beings not protected by the law. It is illegal to hit another adult, an inmate, or a dog, yet our most vulnerable citizens have no protection from physical violence.

Research shows that paddling children can have harmful, adverse effects on child development. It not only teaches children to solve problems through violence, it is also related to:

  • decreased internalization of moral rules
  • decreased IQ
  • increased aggression and antisocial behavior
  • decreased mental health outcomes, and
  • increased adult abusive behaviors including increased risk of being victimized by abusive relationships into adulthood

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Hitting Children is Legal in Schools

  • 19 states in the USA allow adults to hit children with boards despite the zero-tolerance policies on violence.
  • Each year 1667,800 students are hit by public school faculty - and these only represent the reported accounts.
  • Students of color and students with disabilities are hit by adults in schools at a disproportionate rate, indicating a need to look at the impact of trauma and systematic racism within our school system.

Hitting Children is Legal in Homes

  • 30% of American parents spank their child before their first birthday.
  • 50% of all toddlers are spanked 3x a week or more.
  • Over 90% of all toddlers are spanked.

Spanking often leads to overt child abuse.

  • Most physical child abuse begins with physical punishment.
  • Parents who believe in spanking are 4-9 times more likely to abuse their children.

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More FREE Webinars!

Videos on child development, self-regulation, discipline, punishment, communication, collaborating, critical thinking skills, and  more.


Articles

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Videos on Spanking Alternatives

Podcasts

  • We Can Stop Spanking Psychotherapist Robbyn Peters Bennett and educator Patty Wipfler discuss sustainable alternatives to spanking (60 minutes).
  • Are We Raising Spoiled Brats? Researcher and educator Alfie Kohn speaks to the notion that kids today are entitled, over-praised and grow up thinking they're more special than they really are (30 minutes).
  • Stop Hurting Kids in the Name of Discipline Anna Seewald and Dr. John Rich discuss why traditional practices are harmful, alternatives to corporal punishment, and why it's time to make spanking children illegal worldwide (60 minutes).

eBooklet

Listening to Children
This booklet will help you understand

  • Common causes/triggers for "off-track" behavior
  • Why kids crave connection and limits
  • How to set effective limits
  • Why conventional discipline doesn't work for long
  • How to handle your own emotional moments

What do you do when your child acts out? How do you tell a child "No" without triggering a power struggle? Parenting by Connection shows you how setting limits is actually a gift for your child.


 

Additional Articles


April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and many parents report that their abuse of their child was a "spanking that got out of hand." This event is to help parents stop spanking altogether, and it culminates on April 30, International SpankOut Day, which began in 1998 to bring worldwide attention to the need to provide parents and caregivers with alternatives to the physical punishment of children. Educational events and programs are held globally as child advocates work toward having a future free of physical punishment for children worldwide. This learning event was created to support and encourage parents and educators like you wherever you are on your journey toward creating a more peaceful and equitable world for children.

Thank you for being here,

Amy & the NoSpank Challenge Contributors

Amy C. Bryant, EdS, LPC
Parenting Beyond Punishment
Wild Child Counseling, LLC
Play At Home Mom, LLC