Training strategies for equipping early childhood education and care professionals to prevent corporal punishment against children in the home

This paper offers a reflection on the role of early childhood educational and care (ECEC) professionals in preventing and addressing the phenomenon of the corporal punishment of minors in the home. As recently stated by the International NGO Council on Violence Against Children Report, 10 years on: Global Progress & Delay in ending violence against children – the rhetoric & the reality (2016), corporal punishment continues to be the most common form of violence experienced by children throughout the world, although at different rates in different countries (UNICEF, 2014). In this scenario, a specific role may be played by education professionals (such as teachers and educators in early childhood education and/or care services), who may be viewed as a valuable resource in this battle (Walsh & Farrel, 2008; McKee & Dillenburger, 2012). I here set out to demonstrate how important it is for the relevant education professionals to receive specific training in dealing with the issue of corporal punishment, which is one of the main sources of violence against children.