Corporal punishment remains second-highest child abuse complaint, NCPA reports

Colombo, April 30 (Daily Mirror) - The second highest category of complaints received by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) relates to physical abuse, with between 2,000 and 2,500 cases of corporal punishment reported each year.

Despite increasing awareness on child rights, physical punishment continues to be widely used as a disciplinary method by parents, teachers and educators in Sri Lanka, reflecting long-standing cultural and social norms. However, child rights advocates and experts warn that research consistently highlights both short-term and long-term physical and psychological impacts on children’s personality development and wellbeing.

Sri Lanka is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted in 1989 and ratified by the country in 1990, which guarantees children protection from all forms of abuse and neglect. In addition, Article 11 of the 1978 Constitution provides protection against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Legal provisions are also in place under Section 308(a) of the Penal Code, while Ministry of Education circulars 12/2016 and 11/2026 on school discipline explicitly prohibit physical or mental violence against children in educational settings.

Sri Lanka has also made international commitments, including at the First World Conference of Ministers in Bogotá in 2024, to strengthen child protection systems and eliminate corporal punishment. These commitments include promoting positive discipline approaches and ensuring safe, violence-free school environments through teacher training and awareness programmes.

The NCPA says it is working in coordination with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Ministry of Education to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, while also promoting positive parenting and non-violent disciplinary methods.

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Corporal Punishment, observed on April 30, the Authority has renewed its call for parents, guardians and educators to abandon physical punishment and adopt positive discipline approaches to safeguard the dignity, safety and wellbeing of children in Sri Lanka.