Law Bans Child
Beating, Pinching And
Verbal Abuse By Parents
Acting president, Laura
Chinchilla, put ink to
the "Ley Derechos de los
Niños, Niñas y
Adolescentes a la
Disciplina sin Castigo
Físico ni Trato
Humillante”
The law - Rights of
children and adolescents
for discipline whithout
corporal punishment and
humiliation - is part of
the government's plan to
teach parents and
guardians to educate
their children with
love, discipline and
example, but without
physical and humiliating
punishment.
"Correcting with love is
a supreme act. It is
following the example of
Christ with his
disciples. Those who
correct with violence
reap violence and a
battered child will go
out grasping a gun in
the nieghbourhood,
rather than receiving a
school diploma", said
Chinchilla.
According to Chinchilla
violence now begins at
home with corporal
punishment and the
objective of the law is
to create a society
without violence.
The law, which goes into
effect once published in
the official government
publication, La Gaceta,
amends Article 143 of
the Código de Familia
(Family Code) and
provides with parental
authority is conferred
the rights of guiding,
educating, caring,
monitoring and
disciplining the
children, which in no
case authorizes the use
of corporal punishment
and any other form of
humiliation against
minors.
The law allows the
Patronato Nacional de la
Infancia (PANI) - child
welfare agency - to
develop programs of
teaching parents to
educate with love and
will make available
training, care centres
and consultations by
telephone to parents.
Costa Rica joins Brazil
into signing into law a
ban on child abuse by
parents and guardians.
In Costa Rica 65.3% of
parents beat, kick and
pinch and 74.2% yell and
verbally abuse their
children, according to
IDESPO 2003. The results
indicate that 34.6% do
so once a week, while
10.2% make it a daily
occurrence and 6.2% once
in a while. |
