Physical Punishment in Childhood

Dr Bernadette Saunders is a Senior Research Fellow at Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work, Monash University where she teaches Law and Social Justice. She received an Australian Postgraduate Award, and the support of the Australian Childhood Foundation, to pursue her doctoral research on physical punishment. Professor Chris Goddard is Director of Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, Monash University. His previous book Human Rights Overboard: Seeking Asylum in Australia (with Linda Briskman and Susie Latham, 2008) won the Australian Human Rights Literature Non-Fiction Award.

"Publications such as...Physical Punishment in Childhood should help to educate professionals and the public, and advance the cause of children's rights in the United States and the world." (PsycCRITIQUES, December 2010) "It provides a very good summary of the history, language, impact and legal responses to physical punishment of children in Sweden and various English-speaking countries, with particular attention to Australia, the authors' country of residence. The strength and real contribution of the book lies, however, in the presentation of the views of children-voices that are generally not heard in the debate about this contentious issue though they are the ones who bear the brunt of this form of punishment. In this book, they are given equal standing with those of the adults-the parents and the professionals." (Child Abuse Review, 2010)

• Acknowledgements ix1 Introduction 12 Childhood and physical punishment in historical perspective 113 Legal responses to physical punishment 254 Conducting sensitive and ethical research with children and adults 495 Experiences of physical punishment at home, at school and in public places 636 Public and professional perceptions of the effectiveness of physical punishment 937 The subjugation of children through language and physical punishment 1198 The effects of physical punishment 1419 The persistence of physical punishment 16510 The morality of physical punishment 20311 An ideal childhood 229References 235Index 261