Change norms to support non-violent discipline

Return to Enhance secure parent-child relationships

---

Positive discipline is a non-violent approach to help and guide children develop positive behavior while respecting their rights to healthy development, protection from violence, and participative learning.  This objective focuses on bringing about change across an entire community.  There is a separate, more focused objective that focuses on supporting non-violent discipline among families in faith communities. 

Background

According to the U.S Alliance To End the Hitting of Children, paddling in schools is the leading cause of physical child abuse, and is linked to increased anxiety, agression and drug abuse later one in the child’s life . Approximately 65-80% of parent’s in the U.S use spanking to discipline their children, and 30% of parent’s use spanking on children under the age of one . There are increasing research studies that show spanking is linked to future negative outcomes in a child's life including decreased IQ and increased adult abusive behaviors .

There are several studies that show how the implementation of Positive Discipline technique produces positive outcomes. A study of school wide implementation of positive discipline in a lower-income Sacramento elementary school over a four-year period showed that the number of suspensions, instances of vandalism and improvement in classroom atmosphere .

Tools and Resources

An important tool that parents can use when their child misbehaves is to find compassion within the situation . When parents use a mentality with compassion involved, they are able to become calm and deescalated- and co-regulate with the child at a faster rate . Moreover, building a starting relationship with the child that is built on understanding and connection can assist when trying to understand why the child might be misbehaving, and what needs they might be lacking during that time.Another method for positive discipline is to respond to the reason why the behavior might be occurring, instead of the behavior directly .

Promising Practices and Case Studies

Examples from communities that have implemented tools focused on this objective

 

Scorecard Building

Possible Objective Details

Possible Measures

Actions to Take

Actions for Coalitions

Actions for Individuals