Where adults wage war, children inherit the ruins. From Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, this article explores the harrowing toll armed conflict takes on children, shattered limbs, lost lives, stolen futures. Drawing on UN data, eyewitness accounts, and international law, it calls for urgent, child-centred interventions before trauma hardens into history. Childhood should never be collateral damage.
Tag Archives: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Why it’s Time to Ban Lawful Child Abuse – An Argument Against Reasonable Chastisement
In England, the legal defense of ‘reasonable chastisement’ allows parents to physically punish their children without facing assault charges, provided the punishment is deemed ‘moderate and reasonable.’ This defense, rooted in historical legal precedents, permits actions like smacking that leave no lasting physical marks, despite the potential for significant psychological harm. Research, including a comprehensive study by Harvard University, underscores the detrimental effects of physical punishment on children, ranging from increased aggression and mental health issues to impaired parent-child relationships. Despite international moves towards banning corporal punishment and the clear evidence of its harm, England remains resistant, with significant portions of the population supporting the practice under the guise of discipline. The Nightingale Rights Initiative advocates for legislative change to align England with countries that protect children’s rights by banning physical punishment, reflecting a growing consensus on the need for such reform.
Nightingale Rights Initiative 