November 2004
Canada
The Government of Ontario, Canada has funded a public education campaign about smacking, with a very clear anti-smacking message.The communications campaign "Spanking hurts more than you think" was launched on 19 October 2004 during Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. The campaign is a government/non-government collaboration with key messages based on "The Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth (2004). The joint statement finds that physical punishment poses many developmental risks for children. The joint statement was developed by a national partnership of organisations.
The campaign uses posters, brochures and newspaper advertisements to convey its messages. Included in the material is information on "What's wrong with spanking", "What is discipline?", "Why spanking does not work?" and information on "What does work".
For further information about the campaign, material used in the campaign and an electronic copy of "The Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth" visit www.toronto.ca/health/children/index.html.