NextSharkNextShark.com

Japan May Make It Illegal to Spank Kids When Disciplining Them

Japan May Make It Illegal to Spank Kids When Disciplining Them

March 22, 2019
SHARE
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet members have recently submitted a bill that makes it illegal for parents to hit their children when disciplining them, as the number of child abuse cases in the country rises. 
According to NHK News, the bill was submitted by the Cabinet of Japan, which consists of many high-ranking ministers including the Japanese prime minister himself, on March 19. If passed, the bill would make it illegal for parents to enact corporal punishments on their children, which includes spanking children in broader interpretations.
In order to prevent abuse, and to detect and deal with it more quickly when it is occurring, a serious of child-protection countermeasures must be enacted,” the 64-year-old prime minister said, as translated by SoraNews24.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

Aside from the prohibition of corporal punishment carried out by parents on their children, the bill also proposes the opening of additional Child Welfare Centers, requiring at least one in every city or ward with a population of over 200,000 (currently, only cities with a population of 500,000 are required to have one).
The bill, which requires a lawyer and medical staff to be deployed in these centers, will help strengthen the information-sharing protocols between police departments and child welfare services to support their ability to spot child abuse.
Other parties have voiced support of the new bill; if passed, it will take effect in April 2020.
I want us to take all steps to eradicate child abuse, and commit ourselves to protecting children,” Abe said.
Featured image via Flickr / Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CC BY 2.0)
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Bryan Ke

      Bryan Ke is a Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.