3 Awareness-raising campaigns Awareness-raising campaigns – by governments and/or civil society and other stakeholders – can be prepared prior to and/or after the adoption of the law prohibiting corporal punishment. If launched earlier, such campaigns are normally aimed at raising awareness and generating agreement by stakeholders about the need to adopt a ban. If conducted later, they are essential to publicise the prohibition and to educate society on alternatives to discipline children without violence. In both situations, practice has shown that it is important to emphasise that the ban is not meant to be punitive against parents but rather to give them the tools to discipline children without recourse to violence and through positive parenting. Croatia: A campaign promoting non-violent behaviours at schools After prohibiting the use of corporal punishment in all settings in 1999, the Government of Croatia, together with UNICEF, implemented the “safe and enabling school environment programme”. The programme aimed to encourage non-violent discipline in schools through a campaign and a capacity building programme. The campaign promoted a change of behaviour by raising awareness on the effects of physical and verbal violence on the child and suggested a change towards a non-violent space in the classroom. UNICEF conducted an external evaluation in 2012 which revealed that the project was effective in raising awareness on the importance of creating a nonviolent space in schools. Sri Lanka: Television advertisements discouraged the use of corporal punishment In 2018, the National Child Protection Authority of Sri Lanka, a governmental institution with the purpose, amongst other things, of advising the Government on policies and laws on prevention of child abuse, produced a series of television advertisements discouraging the use of corporal punishment. The advertisements touched issues such as: “why corporal punishment is not good for your child”, “disciplining toddlers and pre-schoolers” and the importance of promoting dialogue between children and caregivers in general. The National Child Protection Authority also produced posters on alternatives to corporal punishment, which were disseminated through the national newspaper. Thanks to this program, there has been a significant reduction in parental use of corporal punishment. 4 Capacity building and knowledge transfer “ Each State Party shall undertake to prevent in any territory under its jurisdiction other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment which do not amount to torture as defined in article I, when such acts are committed by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. (…)” Article 16 UN Convention Against Torture 1. Effective capacity building programmes for parents, caregivers, teachers and society in general have a twofold objective: a) to communicate what the law is intended to achieve; and b) to guide different stakeholders in implementing alternatives to corporal punishment. This combination has been shown to be the most effective way to achieve a complete elimination of corporal punishment. Programmes encouraging a change of mindset and behaviour have also been useful in promoting alternatives to corporal punishment even if the State has not yet legally banned the practice. TOOL: Positive Discipline and Alternatives to Corporal Punishment of Children 10/15