«We want no child to be beaten in Switzerland»
Mrs Heuberger, why do we need a law against violence in education?
Because we do not yet have a corresponding law.
In 1978, the right of parents to chastise children was abolished in the Civil Code.
But that is not enough. In 1997, Switzerland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
which, among other things, obliges our country to include an explicit ban on violence in
violence in education into law. Switzerland is repeatedly criticised by the UN
for the fact that this has not yet happened.
So what needs to be done?
The non-violent parenting association is committed to two things: Firstly, the legal
anchoring of the right to non-violent parenting in the Civil Code (ZGB), similar to that in Germany.
in Germany. There it is written in federal law: «Children have a right to a non-violent upbringing.
to a non-violent upbringing. Physical punishments, psychological injuries and other
degrading measures are inadmissible.» Secondly , we want to ensure that more
projects are launched in which parents are informed about the rights of the child and are better supported in their parenting role . There is a lot of experience in countries that have enshrined an article on non-violent parenting in their laws: It has been proven that violence against children decreases after a relatively short time.
«Even slaps on the face or a slap
are humiliating for children
and therefore harmful for
the child's development.»Barbara Heuberger
What would parents face under this law if, for example, their hand slipped?
First and foremost, nothing happens to the parents. Both Germany and Austria - and over 50 other countries - have such prohibitions enshrined in their laws, the one from Germany I have just quoted. Neither in Germany nor in Austria has a father or mother ever been imprisoned or penalised for spanking. We don't want to criminalise anyone, which is why we want to enshrine non-violent parenting in the civil code and not in the criminal code. However, such an article has a strong signalling effect, which can lead to social change. Slapping or spanking is also humiliating for children and therefore harmful to their development.
Most parents want to raise their children without violence. However, everyday life with children is anything but easy. How can parents be empowered so that this doesn't happen?
First of all, I would like to say that hitting is anything but effective. A child may adapt
perhaps adapt for the moment, but in the long term, hitting is of no use in education,
They make the child more aggressive, and it learns to accept violence and perhaps later use it itself.
to use violence themselves. But you're right, most parents love their children and want to do anything but hit them.Hitting happens when you are overwhelmed in a situation
. That's why parents need to be supported and empowered. There are already many contact points for parents and there are numerous methods that parents can learn so that they can cope with such excessive demands. A clear framework and firmness go a long way in bringing up children. There is no need for violence.
To what extent would such a law contribute to this educational support?
A stipulation in the Swiss Civil Code is a relevant statement: «We want no child to be beaten in this country
in this country is beaten» - and this relevance enables the Confederation and cantons to provide more
funds for projects and campaigns.
Picture: Fotolia
The link to the petition
About the person:
Read more:
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