Theme: Corporal Punishment

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Sonke Gender Justice is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation, established in 2006. Today, Sonke has established a growing presence on the African continent and plays an active role internationally. Sonke works to create the change necessary for men, women, young people …

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Last week, disturbing media reports surfaced about the tragic death of Nthatisi Bembe (12), allegedly at the hands of her parents. This tragic incident is another sad reminder of the precarious position that children find themselves in. This gruesome incident …

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Spend time with your child. That’s the answer that I have to the current frequently raised questions about the “alternatives to corporal punishment”. The constitutional court judgment that has cancelled the defence of reasonable chastisement and effectively outlawed any form …

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Joint press release by respondents and amici curiae in the case of Freedom of Religion South Africa v Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development & others [Children’s Institute (UCT); Quaker Peace Centre; Sonke Gender Justice; Centre for Child Law; The …

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Joint press release by respondents and interested parties in the case of YG v the State.

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Wessel van den Berg argues that the acquisition of parenting skills should not be a prerequisite for the ending of corporal punishment.

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“I’m Scared of My Teacher,” is a documentary produced by Sonke’s Gadeeja Abbas which the story of a young school girl who was beaten by her teacher, allegedly for not completing her homework. We ask, If corporal punishment was banned …

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The South Gauteng High Court has ruled that parents charged with hitting their children will no longer be able to raise a special defence.

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Calling for a renewed commitment from the Department of Basic Education to implement the National Protocol on Corporal Punishment in Schools.

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Sonke argues against Advocate Loyiso Mpumlwana’s suggestion that African culture allows for beatings.

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Corporal punishment in the home refers to any kind of physical force inflicted on children by a parent or guardian as a means of discipline. It is a grave concern in terms of children’s development as it violates children’s human …

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Corporal punishment in schools refers to any kind of violent action inflicted on children by teachers or school administrators as punishment for disciplinary purposes. Since its prohibition in 1997, research shows that corporal punishment has still been widely practised in …

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This pamphlet sets out the law and your rights, and what you can do if you or your child has been a victim of corporal punishment at school.

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Sonke thanks The Times their front page and online apology and note and appreciate their commitment to child rights.

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This ruling is based on the written submissions of Dr Stefanie Röhrs, senior researcher of the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, with Mr Wessel van den Berg (Children’s Rights and Positive Parenting Manager, Sonke Gender Justice) and …

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We have read through the letter submitted by the editorial team of The Times in response to our complaint. While we appreciate the letter, and some sentiments expressed in it, we still feel that this provides insufficient remedy to the …

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We wish to bring to your attention an article published on the front-page of The Times on 11 January 2017. The hard copy headline was: ‘Pupils prefer the pain’. The strapline underneath read: ‘Corporal punishment “understood and accepted”’. The article …