CRC/C/GC/8 page 13 conditions of confidentiality and with appropriate ethical safeguards, is essential in order to accurately assess the prevalence of these forms of violence within the family and attitudes to them. The Committee encourages every State to carry out/commission such research, as far as possible with groups representative of the whole population, to provide baseline information and then at regular intervals to measure progress. The results of this research can also provide valuable guidance for the development of universal and targeted awareness-raising campaigns and training for professionals working with or for children. 52. The Committee also underlines in general comment No. 5 the importance of independent monitoring of implementation by, for example, parliamentary committees, NGOs, academic institutions, professional associations, youth groups and independent human rights institutions (see also the Committee’s general comment No. 2 on “The role of independent national human rights institutions in the protection and promotion of the rights of the child”).19 These could all play an important role in monitoring the realization of children’s right to protection from all corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment. VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE CONVENTION 53. The Committee expects States to include in their periodic reports under the Convention information on the measures taken to prohibit and prevent all corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment in the family and all other settings, including on related awareness-raising activities and promotion of positive, non-violent relationships and on the State’s evaluation of progress towards achieving full respect for children’s rights to protection from all forms of violence. The Committee also encourages United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions, NGOs and other competent bodies to provide it with relevant information on the legal status and prevalence of corporal punishment and progress towards its elimination. Notes 1 United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children, due to report to United Nations General Assembly, autumn 2006. For details see http://www.violencestudy.org. 2 Committee on the Rights of the Child, Report on the fourth session, 25 October 1993, CRC/C/20, para. 176. 3 All the Committee’s concluding observations can be viewed at www.ohchr.org. 4 The Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children provides reports on the legal status of corporal punishment at www.endcorporalpunishment.org. 5 Committee on the Rights of the Child, day of general discussion on State violence against children, Report on the twenty-fifth session, September/October 2000, CRC/C/100, paras. 666-688. 6 Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 1, The aims of education, 17 April 2001, CRC/GC/2001/1, para. 8.