National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy Against

National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy Against Corporal Punishment and Cruel, Humiliating or

Degrading Treatment of Children and Adolescents

2022‐2030

© National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy

Against Corporal Punishment and Cruel,

Humiliating or Degrading Treatment of Children

and Adolescents

First Edition:

November 2021

Authors:

Graphic Design:

Camilo Andrés Marín Bohórquez

[email protected]

Mobile: (+57) 318 634 5837

Bogota, Colombia

Copy Editing:

Ángela Constanza Jerez Trujillo

Jerez&Sandoval

Media & Social Responsibility

Bogota, Colombia

Printed in:

ISBN 978‐958‐53100‐1‐8

© National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy

Against Corporal Punishment and Cruel,

Humiliating or Degrading Treatment of Children

and Adolescents All rights reserved. None of the

parts of this publication, including the cover

design, may be reproduced, stored or shared in

any way and by any means, without prior

authorization from the author or editor.

Hecho en Colombia

Made in Colombia

Bogota, 2021

Strategy co‐creators

Daniel Palacios Martínez

Minister of Internal Affairs

Wilson Ruíz Orejuela

Minister of Justice & Law

Fernando Ruíz Gómez

Minister of Health & Social Protection

María Victoria Angulo González

Minister of National Education

Carmen Ligia Valderrama Rojas

Minister of Information Technologies &

Communications

Carolina Salgado Lozano

Advisor to the President on Childhood and

Adolescence

Susana Correa Borrero

Director General, Department for Social

Prosperity

Lina María Arbeláez Arbeláez

Director General, Colombian Family Welfare

Institute (ICBF)

President's Advisory Council on Childhood and

Adolescence

Carolina Salgado

Advisor to the President on Childhood and

Adolescence

Dalys Silgado Cabrales

Advisor

Ana Jaramillo

Diana Urueña

Esperanza Lara Romero

Johanna Navarro

Marcia Castro Ramírez

Natalia Quiñonez

Paula Andrea Rodríguez Camacho

Susan Gil

Technical team, President's Advisory Council on

Childhood and Adolescence

Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF)

Lina María Arbeláez Arbeláez

Director General

Liliana Pulido Villamil

Deputy Director‐General

Diego Felipe Otero Álvarez

Earl Douglas López Corcho

Gustavo Romero

Julián David Gerena

María Consuelo Gaitán

Sandra Milena Beltrán Muñoz

Technical team, Colombian Family Welfare

Institute (ICBF)

Corporación Juego y Niñez

Ruth Camelo

CEO

Ana Villa

Andrea González

Ángela Bibiana Nieto

Astrid Henao

Diana Riveros

Graciela Salazar

Irma Salazar

Jorge Alberto Flórez Culman

Kritzy Linares Caicedo

Michael Quiroga

María Alejandra Betancur

Meliza Saldaña

Paola Lugo

Sonia Yaneth Zamudio

Technical team, Corporación Juego y Niñez

Universidad del Norte

Ana Rita Russo de Sánchez

Director, Psycho‐affective Development &

Emotional Education program, Universidad del

Norte.

Areli Sarai Rocha Payares

Eloisa Margarita Sierra Crissón

Liceth Paola Reales Silvera

Luz Caroll González Mancipe

Technical team, Universidad del Norte

We Push

Angie Mogollón

Tania Cifuentes

Children and adolescent Strategy co‐creators:

Santiago Andrés Hurtado Delgado

Envigado, Antioquia department

Valeria Patricia Arteaga Rubio

El Bagre, Antioquia department

Brayan Camilo Alejo Fajardo

Heidy Maryana Albán Sánchez

Arauca, Arauca department

Shelsy Trespalacios Romero

Víctor Manuel García Cervantes

Arjona, Bolívar department

Juan Camilo Miudy Puello

Cartagena, Bolívar department

José David Leones Ortega

San Juan Nepomuceno, Bolívar department

Cielo Katherin Guevara Cabrejo

Boavita, Boyacá department

María Isabella Iguavita Rojas

Sergio Samuel Bolívar Becerra

Paipa, Boyacá department

Keyla Valentina Cubides Acosta

Tunja, Boyacá department

Benjamín David Quintero Alarcón

Zhaira Lucila Bohórquez Rodríguez

Támara, Casanare department

Diana Sofía Tamayo Solarte

Samuel Sekneih Mosquera Sánchez

Almaguer, Cauca department

Rafael Emilio Márquez Conrado

Sofía Sánchez Díaz

San Alberto, Cesar department

Javier Alejandro Cuesta Mosquera

Medio San Juan, Chocó department

Ruby Bejarano Hernández

Triana Berena Valencia Maturana

Quibdó, Chocó department

Maryi Esther Yépez Martínez

San Andrés de Sotavento, Córdoba department

Juan José Garzón Suarez

Luna Valeria Cortes Amaya

Suesca, Cundinamarca department

Alison Camila Gómez Rodríguez

Jimmy Santiago Rodríguez Pinilla

Vianí, Cundinamarca department

Fiorella Morato Trujillo

Yaguará, Huila department

Carlos Manuel Mármol Montero

Shadia Pacheco Martínez

Albania, La Guajira department

Ana Sofía Quevedo Ramírez

María Paula Boada

Yerald Stiven Rafa Duarte

Cabuyaro, Meta department

Gabriela Anahy Toro Arteaga

Jeferson Alejandro Benavides Arteaga

Tuquerres, Nariño department

María Lucía Rubio Barona

Pereira, Risaralda department

Brayan Stiven Dávila

Palmas del Socorro, Santander department

Diocelina Fernández Sampayo

Majagual, Sucre department

Camilo Andrés Camargo Castro

María Camila Tamayo Escudero

San Onofre, Sucre department

María José Orozco Yazo

Simón Eduardo Ramírez Ortiz

Espinal, Tolima department

Juan Manuel Angulo Banguero

Susana Vera Tofiño

Candelaria, Valle del Cauca department

State agencies that participated as Strategy co‐

creators:

Tatiana Briceño Veloza

Department for Social Prosperity

Natalia Martínez

National Institute for the Deaf (INSOR)

Alicia Vargas

Claudia Téllez

Jaime Rafael Vizcaíno Pulido

Olga Lucía Zárate Mantilla

Ministry of National Education

Andrea Katerine Reyes

Diana Marcela Cáceres Herrera

Jenny Gómez

Tatiana Romero

Ministry of Justice & Law

Gloria Del Pilar Cardona

Juana Bernal García

Ministry of Health & Social Protection

Jim Paul Smith Bautista

Ministry of Information Technologies &

Communications

David Orlando Vergara Orjuela

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Colombian departments that participated as

Strategy co‐creators:

Isabel Cristina Echavarría Cardona

María Janneth López Giraldo

Sergio Andrés González Valencia

Governor’s Office of Antioquia

Jeidys Banquez Mendoza

Governor’s Office of Bolívar

Diana Catherine Gutiérrez Fonseca

Governor’s Office of Boyacá

Leidy Tatiana Cortés Zapata

Governor’s Office of Caldas

Luz Dary Ricaurte Ortega

Governor’s Office of Casanare

Ayda María García Jaller

Governor’s Office of Córdoba

Liliana Marcela Rodríguez Sarmiento

Yancly Carrasco Hernández

Governor’s Office of Cundinamarca

Ayda Yeliza Martínez Orejuela

Liceth Tatiana Alape Conde

Governor’s Office of Guainía

Constanza Guarnizo

Governor’s Office of Putumayo

Mónica Patricia Mogollón Sarmiento

Governor’s Office of Risaralda

Marjory Forbes

Governor’s Office of San Andrés

Luis Alberto Castellanos Suárez

Nayibe Hernández Cipagauta

Governor’s Office of Santander

Julia Buelvas Chadid

Governor’s Office of Sucre

Gloria Milena Mayorga Camargo

Governor’s Office of Amazonas

Ilsy Muñoz Movilla

Oscar Pantoja Palacio

Valeria Ariza Gómez

Governor’s Office of Atlántico

Norma Constanza Mendoza Álvarez

Governor’s Office of Caquetá

Adriana Quina Sandoval

Governor’s Office of Cauca

Erika Maestre Vega

Governor’s Office of Cesar

Elsa Patricia Muñoz

Governor’s Office of Huila

Carolina Baquero Cruz

Governor’s Office of Meta

Debbie Peñaranda Mora

Diego Vega

Leydi Tatiana Morales García

Governor’s Office of Norte de Santander

Natalia Álvarez Ruales

Governor’s Office of Quindío

Carolina Sosa

Carol Nieto García

Governor’s Office of Tolima

Luz Elena Azcarate Sinisterra

Governor’s Office of Valle del Cauca

Indira Milena Velásquez Camargo

Governor’s Office of Vaupés

Carolina Tabares López

Governor’s Office of Vichada

Colombian department capitals that

participated as Strategy co‐creators:

Ángela Adriana Mojica Gerena

Mayor’s Office of Arauca

Blanca Luz Tamara Inella

Mayor’s Office of Barranquilla

Yenny Marcela Forero Ospina

María Del Rosario Fandiño C.

Mayor’s Office of Bogota, Capital District

Jenny Carolina Rodríguez

Mayor’s Office of Bucaramanga

María Del Carmen Guerrero

Mayor’s Office of Cali

Norma Bejarano Ordoñez

Mayor’s Office of Florencia

Ingrith González Rosso

Mayor’s Office of Leticia

Katherine Mosquera Lozano

Yennifer Tatiana Vélez García

Yenny Marcela Gutiérrez

Mayor’s Office of Medellín

Adriana Quintero Giral

Mayor’s Office of Mocoa

Diana Yuvely Sánchez Cruz

Mayor’s Office of Neiva

Nelvy Johana Chamorro Lucero

Mayor’s Office of Pasto

María Eugenia Granada Montoya

Mayor’s Office of Pereira

Andrés Mauricio Anzola Gómez

Mayor’s Office of Puerto Carreño

Yirle Vanessa Waldo Sánchez

Yolanda Palacios Machado

Mayor’s Office of Quibdó

Laura Rita Pinto Cotes

Mayor’s Office of Riohacha

Leidy Daniela Cortes

Mayor’s Office of San José del Guaviare

María José Duica Zúñiga

Mayor’s Office of Santa Marta

Daniela Tatiana Castro Castro

Mayor’s Office of Villavicencio

Everaldo Lamprea Montealegre

Colombian Association of Departmental

Capitals (Asocapitales)

Pilar López Quiñones

National Federation of Departments

Experts that participated as Strategy co‐

creators:

María Lucia Uribe

Arigatou International – Geneva, Switzerland

Astrid Triana Cifuentes

Colombian Psychology Schools Association

(ASCOFAPSI)

Marta Rubio Codina

Inter‐american Development Bank

Juan Sebastián Uribe Quintero

House of Representatives

Andrés Villaveces Izquierdo

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC)

Pedro Pablo Ochoa

Colombian College of Psychologists

Francy Lilly Rodríguez Hernández

Fundación Universitaria Compensar

Jorge Cuartas

Harvard University

Mauricio González Montero

Paola Andrea Naranjo Hernández

International Institute for Mentality Change

(ICAM)

Diana Marcela Casas Garay

Instituto Roosevelt

Jaime Castro Martínez

Politécnico Grancolombiano

Rocío López Ordosgoitia

Olga Alicia Carbonell Blanco

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Sonia Margarita Leal Cruz

Ruth Mireya Suárez Porras

SENA

Juan Fernando Gómez Ramírez

Marcela Fama Pereira

Colombian Pediatric Society

Andrea Morenz De La Torre

Rocío Mojica

UNICEF

Claudia Jimena Salazar Trujillo

Universidad CES

Sara Zabarain Cogollo

Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia

Jakeline Duarte Duarte

Universidad de Antioquia

Sandy Paola Ibáñez Reyes

Universidad de la Costa

Johanna Chocontá Bejarano

Juan José Giraldo Huertas

Universidad de La Sabana

Arturo Harker Roa

Universidad de los Andes

Melisa Eyes Escalante

Universidad del Atlántico

Maribel Gallego Vera

Universidad del Quindío

Sandra Paola Berrio Palomo

Universidad del Sinú ‘Elías Bechara Zainúm’

Luz Ángela Prada Rojas

Universidad del Tolima

Andrea Hernández Quirama

Universidad Industrial de Santander

María Cristina Torrado

Pablo Muñoz Specht

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Diana Katerine Cuéllar Guerrero

Gabriel Benavides Rincón

Universidad Pedagógica Nacional

Elsy Domínguez De La Ossa

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar

Civil society and Corporate Social Responsibility

organizations that participated as Strategy co‐

creators:

Jennifer Vega

Nilhen Herazo Martínez

aeioTU ‐ Fundación Carulla

Ximena Norato

Agencia Pandi

María Inés Cuadros

Alejandro Ruiz Caicedo

Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia

Angélica Cuenca Gómez

Alianza por la Niñez Colombiana

Carolina Mejía

National Media Association (Asomedios) of

Colombia

Sara Matarazzo

Bethany Christian Services

Paola Andrea Londoño Borrero

Colsubsidio

Ana Beatriz Cárdenas Restrepo

Compensar

Yolanda Alexandra Ángel Ortega

Corparques

Laura Marcela Cantillo Herrera

Corporación de Amor al Niño ‘Cariño’

July Castro

Dulce Hogar NGO

Elina Marisel Peña Julio

Fundación A La Rueda Rueda

Martha Eugenia Segura

Fundación Apego

Marcela Quintero Torres

Fundación Carvajal

Camila Gaviria

Fundación Educación Inteligente e+i SAS

Ángela Orrego

Diana María Pineda Ruiz

Fundación Éxito

Ana María Reyes Castro

Biviana Arango

Fundación Firmeza y Afecto

Margarita Martínez

Fundación Plan

Paola Andrea López M.

Fundación Red contra el Abuso Sexual Infantil

Diana Peláez

Viviana Bayuelo

Fundación Tiempo Feliz

Camilo Valenzuela

Carlos Miranda

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Luz Alcira Granada Contreras

Lumos Foundation

Tatiana Forero

Movilizatorio & Súmate al Juego

Fernanda Restrepo

Ni Una Palmadita

Ángela Constanza Jerez

Niñez Ya

Felipe Cortés

María Teresa Cuesta

Mónica Castaño

Save The Children Colombia

Viviana Cano

Tigo

Sara Cristina Lara González

World Vision International

Gloria Cristina Duarte

Andrea Romero

Natalia Jiménez

Nicolás Quispe

Additional Civil Society Organization

representatives:

Parents’ associations that participated as

Strategy co‐creators:

Nataly Jaramillo Serna

Parents’ association of Sabaneta

Doris Paola Contreras Ortiz

Eliana Zulay Garrido Torres

Isabel Teresa Duran Moncada

Parents’ association of Julio Pérez Ferrero

educational institution (Cúcuta)

Katerinne Rojas Bate

Parents’ association of Ciudad de Montreal

School (Bogotá)

Ilene María Bueno Escorcia

Johanna Henao Parada

Parents’ association of Cristo Rey School

(Arauca)

Kelly Johana García Quiroz

Cajasai School

Adeida Serrano Manrique

La Presentación Santa Teresa School (Cúcuta)

Isslenny Angélica Ramírez Martínez

Parent’s Council of Hogar Infantil Kennedy

María Eugenia Betancurt Pinzón

Parent’s Council (Arauca)

Juan Carlos Téllez

Board of Directors, Colegio Trinitario

(Cartagena)

Juan David Restrepo Franco

Hogar Infantil El Jardín (Pereira)

Lady Sileana Restrepo Cruz

Hogar Infantil Risaralda

Nayruth Margarita Castilla Vizcaíno

Meira del Mar District Educational Institution

Miguel Antonio Duarte Camacho

Carlos Linares

José Celestino Mutis Educational Institution

(Guaviare)

Graciela Varón

Haminton Lozada

Heidy Lorena Quintero Barragán

Mercedes Martínez Mavesoy

Juan Bautista la Salle Educational Institution

Maricela Leyton Díaz

Nuestra Señora del Carmen Educational

Institution

Dayana Zuluaga Flórez

Mamá También

Carolina Piñeros Ospina

Red PaPaz

Andrea Cristina Bonilla

Diana Riveros

Juan Manuel Angulo

Roberto Púa Mora

Sandra Suarez

Additional participating parents

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 1 ‐ BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 16

ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND CRUEL, HUMILIATING OR DEGRADING TREATMENT ...................................... 16

CHAPTER 2 – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STRATEGY ............................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 3 – LEGAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... 25

NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL & PREVENTION STRATEGY .......................................................................................... 34

STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................................. 34

FOUNDATIONAL APPROACHES OF THE STRATEGY ............................................................................................................... 35

STRATEGY OBJECTIVE .................................................................................................................................................... 36

STRATEGY COMPONENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 37

ANNEX 1. NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL & PREVENTION STRATEGY MATRIX ............................................................................... 53

ANNEX 2. KEY ASPECTS FOR TERRITORIAL ADAPTATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL & PREVENTION

STRATEGY ................................................................................................................................................................... 53

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................................................... 54

List of Tables

Table 1: Triggering factors for corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment by parents

and caretakers. ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Table 2: Consequences of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment on children and

adolescents. ........................................................................................................................................................ 19

List of Figures

Figure 1: Preparation Stages for the National Pedagogical Strategy and for the prevention of corporal

punishment, cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment……………………………………………………………………….30

Figure 1: National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy Against Corporal Punishment and Cruel, Humiliating

or Degrading Treatment of Children and Adolescents………………………………………………………………………….35

Introduction

In the 2018‐2022 National Development Plan titled “A Pact for Colombia, A Pact for Equality”, the

National Government of Colombia set a 14.3% reduction goal in the rate of violence perpetrated against

children and adolescents. To this end, the National Government brought forward, among other initiatives,

strengthening families as guarantors of safe and nurturing environments for the development of children

and adolescents and the protection of their rights.

In 2019, Colombia took a step toward this goal in joining, as a pathfinding country, the Global

Partnership to End Violence Against Children; later, the nation consolidated the National Partnership

Against Violence Toward Children & Adolescents, a cross‐sector articulation strategy to prevent and

address violence against the underage population, which observes the Objectives for Sustainable

Development.

In compliance with commitments acquired by families the civil society and the National

Government, as set forth in the 2018‐2022 National Development Plan titled “A Pact for Colombia, A Pact

for Equality” and the aforementioned National Partnership, Law 2089 was passed on May 14, 2021 as a

legal ban on the use of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment. Article 5

thereof establishes that the National Government, through the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF),

the Ministry of National Education, the ministry of Health & Social Protection, the Ministry of Information

Technologies & Communications, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice & Law, and the

President's Advisory Council on Childhood and Adolescence must deploy and implement the the National

Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy.

This document compiles a series of successful experiences implemented across various sectors

over the years as intervention measures for the issue at hand. Likewise, the document contains

recommendations and contributions resulting from the joint strategy construction process carried out

across public consultations involving: i) the National Government; ii) regional territorial authorities; iii)

academia; iv) civil society members; v) corporate social responsibility organizations; v) international

cooperation agencies; vii) parents’ associations; viii) parents and caretakers; and ix) children and

adolescents. In addition, the strategy construction process received technical support from Corporación

Juego y Niñez, Universidad del Norte, consulting firms We Push and Atelier, as well as United Nations

Children's Fund (Unicef). The professional staff of technical teams at the abovementioned state agencies

also contributed to this document.

The purpose of this strategy is to transform sociocultural imaginaries, beliefs and behaviors that

have been traditionally used to normalize and justify corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or

degrading treatment of children and adolescents in Colombia. Articulated promotion and prevention

actions aimed toward nurturing care and education, democratic relations, respectful parenting and giving

importance to the voices of children comprise the action plan to fulfill this purpose.

The first chapter comprises a background and brief introduction to corporal punishment and to

cruel, humiliating or degrading treatments around the world and in Colombia. The objective of this

chapter is to familiarize readers with the dimensions of the issue and, in particular, with the consequences

of this violence upon the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of children and adolescents at

the individual, family, community and overarching social levels.

The second chapter discusses the main concepts and approaches that comprise the structure of

the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy. The strategy contemplates pedagogic activities for

society in general to promote a nurturing, respectful and non‐violent care across in diverse settings where

childhood and adolescence elapse.

The third chapter contains a legal framework. This section itemizes the main domestic and

international laws and regulations that have recognized children and adolescents as legal subjects of

human rights. This legal corpus has led to commitments by a number of States—among them, Colombia—

to eliminate violence against this particular population.

To conclude, the fourth chapter presents the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy and

implementation plan detailing its four main axes, its strategic lines, indicators, and main responsible

parties as a State commitment, before children and adolescents, to their integral development and to the

prevention of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatments.

The resulting strategy contemplates the development of a transversal process for monitoring,

follow‐up and reporting; this process involves a cycle of continuous actions to reflect strategy

implementation progress. In addition, said process shall feed reports on the impact of the strategy toward

social and cultural transformations during the 2022‐2030 time span.

Today, 73 years after humanity first took an explicit stand against violence, the entire collective

of actors responsible for guaranteeing the right of children and adolescents in Colombia have come

together and prepared a route map for the next eight years. This route map seeks to eliminate, once and

for all, corporal punishment and any cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment of children and

adolescents.

Reaching this social and cultural transformation goal becomes only possible when society

assumes its role as an agent of change and its commitment to the sustainability of pedagogical actions

intended to facilitate the plan outlined herein.

Chapter 1 ‐ Background

On Corporal Punishment and Cruel, Humiliating or Degrading Treatment

Corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment comprise actions performed

by parents, educators, or other individuals responsible for the care of children and adolescents, with the

“intent” or “motive” of discipline. According to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2006), corporal

punishment involves hitting children with the hand (i.e., smacking, slapping, or spanking) or with an

implement (such as a whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon, etc.). It can also involve kicking, shaking,

throwing children, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing ears, as well as other aggressions

such as burning or scalding, forced ingestion (for example, ingestion of soap or hot spices), or forcing

children to stay in uncomfortable positions. On the other hand, cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment

involves actions that disrespect the dignity of an individual, such as any action that seeks to ignore,

ridicule, belittle, or undermine the child, or any action that scares the child such as threats, physical abuse,

or abandonment, among other actions that have a similar impact on the child.

Law 2089/2021, which prohibits corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading

treatment, was passed as a move toward fulfilling the commitment acquired by families, the civil society

and the National Government to eliminate violence against children and adolescents. To this end, Law

2089 set forth the implementation of a National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy which identifies and

illustrates “alternatives and practices to educate, guide and instill discipline without recurring to violence”

(Congreso de la República de Colombia, 2021, p. 2).

The starting point of the strategy contained herein is the acknowledgment of the magnitude and

severity of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment against children and

adolescents, considering that they have become normalized and deemed justified. Studies and official

figures have highlighted the triggering factors that legitimate and reinforce these violent actions, as well

as these factors’ negative consequences.

Scope of the issue

Worldwide, approximately 6 out of 10 children aged 2 to 14 years are routinely subjected to

corporal punishment by their parents or caretakers (Unicef, 2014, p. 7). A study by Cuartas (2019) on the

national, regional and global prevalence of exposure to aggressive physical and psychological discipline

among children aged 2 to 4 years across 131 countries, found that 220.4 million children are subjected to

corporal punishment and that 230.7 million are subjected to aggressive psychological discipline during

their first 5 years of life (p. 2). In Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular, children under 15 years

of age are regularly exposed to some form of violence, whether it involves emotional aggression or

corporal punishment (Unicef, 2018, p. 1).

In the case of Colombia, in 2018 the Survey on Violence Against Children & Adolescents (EVCNNA)

reported that 37.5 % of men and 21.2 % of women were victims of violence before they turned 18 years

old. Also, 21.2 % of women and 9.5 % of men stated they had been victims of psychological aggression by

their parents and/or caretakers (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, 2018, p. 23).

Whereas these figures are drawn from informative reports from competent national agencies in

regards to the integral care of children and adolescents, there are both high rates of underreporting and

differences in reported figures. Moreover, the cases of violence against children and adolescents

increased during preventive lockdowns for COVID‐19.

On this regard, National Institute of Legal Medicine & Forensic Science records show 4334 cases

of domestic abuse 1 against children and teenagers between January and September 2021; of these, 744

were cases involving children aged 0 to 5 years, 1194 involved children aged 6 to 11 years, and 2406

involved adolescents between 12 and 17 years old2. Between January and December 2020, the Institute

reported 5687 cases of domestic abuse where children and adolescents were the victims.

Regarding this issue, Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) reports in the Missions

Information System (SIM3) reveal that 2776 children and adolescents entered the Administrative Process

for the Restoration of Rights (PARD) between January and October 2021, 51% (1423) of whom were

female whereas 49% (1353) were male. Between January and December 2020, 2482 children and

adolescents entered the PARD due to the same reasons; 52% (1285) were female children and adolescents

whereas 48% (1197) were male.

Between January and October 2021, records of entries into PARD due to psychological abuse

accounted for 1632 children and adolescents, 56% (913) of whom were female and 44% (719) were male.

Between January and December 2020, 2482 children and adolescents entered the PARD due to

psychological abuse; 56% (739) were female whereas 44% (598) were male.

Similarly, during 2020 the National Public Health Monitoring System (Sivigila)4, recorded 6435

events of physical abuse against women and female children and adolescents, comprising 61% of its total

physical abuse records. 2020 also saw a greater proportion of psychological abuse cases against women

and female children and adolescents: 1093 reports (68%), in stark contrast to the 510 (32%) of cases

involving men and male children and adolescents.

On the other hand, in a 2010 study published in Revista Internacional de Pediatría on corporal

punishment in China, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines Sweden, Thailand, the United States and Colombia,

1398 mothers, 1146 fathers and 1417 children aged 7 to 10 years concluded that, in Colombia, 68% of

girls and 63% of boys had been subjected to “mild” corporal punishment (i.e., spanking, slapping or hitting)

and 15% of girls, but 4% of boys, had experienced “severe” corporal punishment (hitting or slapping to

the face or head; boxing ears; repeated hitting with an implement) from a member of their own household

during the previous month (Lansford, 2010, p. 5).

Another 2019 study by the Partnership for Colombian Childhood and Universidad de La Sabana,

involving 928 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years, revealed that 52% were hit and 23% were

insulted and/or yelled at. Corporal punishment was mainly inflicted using objects (47%) or by slapping

(38%) or pinching (29%); these actions were primarily inflicted by the mothers (43%), followed by both

parents (17%) (p.25).

1“Domestic abuse is defined as: any individual that, in their famili setting, are victims of physical or psychological harm, threat, offense, injury or any other act of aggression from another family member or from the family unit” (Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, 2011, p. 47). 2 Boletín Estadístico Mensual, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal, September 2021. 3 Sistema de Información Misional, Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar. 4 Sivigila provides information and data on events that affect, or might affect, the public health of Colombians. Sivigila receives notifications from reports of suspected gender-based violence and domestic abuse cases.

In 2021, as part of the Crianza Amorosa+Juego national strategy, the President's Advisory Council

on Childhood and Adolescence and Corporación Juego y Niñez surveyed 966 parents and caretakers in 36

municipalities across 27 departments of Colombia in order to identify imaginaries and beliefs on the use

of corporal punishment as a parenting practice. The survey revealed that parents and caretakers consider

that the most common parenting practices involving violence are hitting (878), slapping (726), rejecting

or belittling (719), threatening (718) and humiliating (718), among other. Despite more than 60% of

respondents agree that corporal punishment is an invalid parenting practice, the majority fail to identify

alternatives to provide disciplinary guidance to their children; this situation worsened in the case of

female children and adolescents, who face a continued normalization and justification of violent, abusive

behaviors stemming from gender inequality.

Similarly, the construction of the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy in 2021 carried out

an online survey involving 4695 parents and caretakers across Colombia on the use of corporal

punishment as a practice for parenting and to provide behavioral guidance to children and adolescents.

Findings revealed that around 3100 respondents apply corporal punishment and/or cruel, humiliating or

degrading treatment, and that 2700 consider these actions useful in parenting. Conversely, over 2700

respondents were willing to put non‐violent care approach into practice; 2100 were willing to participate

in programs, projects, workshops or courses to learn more on these practices; and over 1700 were willing

to share their experiences with non‐violent parenting success stories.

Figures and studies reveal a high prevalence of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating, or

degrading treatment across Colombian regions and cultures as a parenting practice used by parents and

caretakers on their children and adolescents. This situation is closely related to individual, interpersonal,

community and social factors, as scientific evidence suggests, and particularly by a social‐ecological model

for violence. This model posits that individuals have biological, cultural, social, economic and interpersonal

traits that affect their vulnerability or resilience to the challenging situations that come up during their

lifetimes (Table 1).

Similarly, there are numerous scientific studies and reports on the consequences of violence at

the individual, interpersonal, interpersonal, community and social levels with telling data and a call for

action (Table 2).

Table 1: Triggering factors for corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment by

parents and caretakers.

Individual level

Beliefs and attitudes that favor the use of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading

treatment.

Perceptions that legitimate the use of violence in parenting.

Lack of knowledge on the developmental stages of children and adolescents.

Parents and caretakers’ expectations regarding children and adolescent behavior, according to gender

and age stereotypes that normalize and perpetuate corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or

degrading treatment.

Parents and caretakers’ social, abusive or problem consumption of psychoactive substances, including

alcohol and drugs.

Parents or caretakers’ mental health issues and inadequate emotional management.

Parents and caretakers’ unemployment.

Lack of knowledge on human rights and democratic values.

Interpersonal level

Domestic abuse and violent practices in parenting.

Gender inequality in household relationships.

Lack of recognition of children and adolescents as legal subjects of rights.

Weak emotional bonds between children and adolescents and their parents or caretakers.

Traumatic family disruption or violent family disintegration.

Unresolved conflict between family members.

Poor or absent family support networks resulting in weakened protection and care roles.

Lack of intergenerational dialog skills to build reliable, democratic and supportive relationships.

Community level

Peer pressure and acceptance of the use of violence in parenting.

Poor or absent community support networks resulting in weakened protection and care roles.

Unawareness, acceptance and/or validation of gender inequality.

Unsafe and violent environments.

Limited or no coverage by programs and strategies to promote the rights of children and adolescents.

High unemployment rates.

Lack of intercultural dialog skills to build reliable, democratic and supportive relationships.

Social level

Culture based on an unequal gender and age relationship structure.

Lack of social recognition of the rights of children and adolescents.

Lack of recognition of children and adolescents as legal subjects of rights.

Authoritarianism.

Relationships centered around adult needs, interests and opinions.

Intergenerational transmission of domestic violence.

Weak implementation of parenting violence‐prevention policies.

Structural poverty.

Lack of recognition of the family as an agent of change, as a collective subject of rights, as a diverse and

pluralistic group.

Source: Pan‐American Health Organization (2017), adapted by the authors.

Table 2: Consequences of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment on children

and adolescents.

Individual level

Physical, psychological, cognitive, social‐emotional and psychosocial effects during childhood and

adolescence development.

Emotional management issues (including pain, anger, fear, sadness, shame, hate, resentment and

guilt).

Weak emotional bonds between children and adolescents and their parents or caretakers, which can

lead to runaway or abandonment situations.

Effects on brain regions where processes including attention, memory, concentration, self‐regulation

and learning, occur.

Difficulties in accessing education, leading to later challenges in economic and work inclusion.

Effects on academic performance and coverage of needs due to lack of parental support.

Discrimination as a result of difficulties to engage in interpersonal relationships.

Exposure to high‐risk situations, settings and environments.

Greater tendency to addiction and suicidal behaviors.

Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.

Behavioral issues, including aggressive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.

Negative self‐perception, poor interpersonal relationships, and low self‐esteem.

Mental disorders due to chronic or recurring violence situations.

Interpersonal level

Difficulties to establish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships, to trust others, and to have a

positively impact their social setting.

Normalization of violence as a means of resolving issues with others in family, school and social settings.

Decreased self‐confidence and capacity to trust the environment for freedom of expression.

Perpetuation of violent relationship patterns.

Community and social level

Learning inadequate and abusive parenting practices and replication in their own later roles as parents

or caretakers.

Greater likelihood to repeat violent, criminal behaviors in public and community settings.

Greater risk of child and adolescent involvement in armed groups, illegal businesses, youth gangs, and

drug trafficking.

Child marriage, untimely marital unions, and increased chances of unwanted pregnancy at an early age.

Forced child and adolescent labor.

Greater likelihood of becoming the victim of different forms of violence.

Lack of tools to identify their own rights and any infringements they might be victims of.

Source: Pan‐American Health Organization (2017), adapted by the authors.

The triggering factors and the consequences that corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or

degrading treatment have on the physical, cognitive and emotional development of children and

adolescents is summarized in the following paragraph:

Children who do not receive a loving and nurturing upbringing are at greater risk of

developing growth and health issues, learning less, abandoning their studies earlier, facing

difficulties to establish trusting relationships, and of being less productive during adulthood. Their

annual income might account for only a third of that of their peers, which leads to a

disadvantageous intergenerational poverty cycle.5

Therefore, the National Government of Colombia has adopted INSPIRE Model6 recommendations

related to legislative changes and the generation of preventive strategies and policies toward the

progressive elimination of violence against children and adolescents.

The National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy aims to create tools to prevent corporal

punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment. The strategy is focused on fostering individual‐

and collective‐level change of practices, beliefs, attitudes, and social norms that validate the use of

violence by parents, caretakers, public servants, and any and all individuals involved in the care and

protection of children and adolescents.

Upon identification of the factors that influence or reinforce the use of violence during parenting,

the strategy enables the definition of a series of actions to influence skill development in parents and

caretakers for nurturing, non‐violent parenting process. Such actions shall also enable recognition of

children and adolescents as legal subjects of rights, gender equality in relationships, as well as changes to

social norms that validate violent practices.

The consequences mentioned earlier herein are foreseeable and preventable by means of

pedagogical actions to raise awareness and consciousness; these actions are aimed to mitigate diverse

factors that promote the use of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment. Thus,

legislative, pedagogical and social efforts seeking to reduce and, ultimately, prohibit these forms of

violence become not only necessary but justifiable. Only by achieving change in these practices, by

learning new ways to raise children and to interact with children and adolescents as legal subjects of

rights, and by the progressive modification of actions and parenting processes that the cycle of violence

in society is broken—particularly in family and interpersonal relationships, which have an impact across

members of entire communities—.

In consequence, this Strategy calls society to act toward preventing these forms of violence by

promoting protective measures, mitigating risk factors and reducing the likelihood of occurrence,

recurrence and perpetuation. This call extends to provide relevant and timely care to reduce the effects

of the use of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or denigrating treatment and any other form of

violence against children and adolescents during their care and education.

In accordance to the above, the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy proposes—from

multiple rights, differential, intersectional, gender, territorial, human development, life course, and do‐

no‐harm approaches—novel pedagogical actions to mitigate factors that promote the use of corporal

punishment and cruel, humiliating or denigrating treatment. Proposed actions fall into one of the

5 Bernard van Leer Foundation. Early Chilhood Matters (2018). Thedros Adhanom Bhebreyesus. WHO. “Placing nurturing care at the centre of global initiatives to improve child health and development”. Citing Ritcher et al., 2017. “Investing in the foundation of sustainable development: pathways to scale up for early childhood development”. The Lancet 389 (10064):103-18. In https://bernardvanleer.org/es/ecm-article/placing-nurturing-care-at-the-centre-of-global-initiatives-to-improve-child-health-and-development/ 6 Inspire is a model resulting from the joint efforts of 10 organisms with extensive track records in the promotion of coherent and empirical data-based actions to prevent violence against children and adolescents. The model presents seven strategies that enable the elimination of violence: application and enforcement of values, standards and laws; safe environments; support to parents and caretakers; economic strengthening and income; support and response systems; and education and life skills.

following categories according to their purpose: i) Recognition of children and adolescents as legal

subjects of rights; ii) Promotion of change in practices, beliefs, attitudes and social norms that validate

violent parenting practices, at individual and collective levels; iii) Development of skills in parents and

caretakers to engage in non‐violent, nurturing, democratic and respectful parenting, with the purpose of

breaking the cycle of violence through an integral care strategy that takes into account individual,

community, social and cultural features.

Chapter 2 – Conceptual Framework of the Strategy

The understanding and implementation of this strategy requires the recognition of the key

concepts and approaches that are articulated with the proposed pedagogical actions in order to prevent

and eliminate the use of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment against

children and adolescents.

In addition to the definition cited at the beginning of this document, it is important to understand

that this type of violence has been naturalized and normalized through beliefs, attitudes, norms and social

values passed among generations. Since these have not been questioned or analyzed, they have

perpetuated the harms in the comprehensive development of children and adolescents, and the cycle of

violence.

Carlos Pitillas Salvá invites us to think about the intergenerational transmission of trauma:

When working with families, it is often verified that parents who have serious difficulties in

properly caring for their children have gone through experiences of abuse and neglect during their

childhood. When the emotional wounds of the children have been sufficiently intense and have

not been resolved, they remain with the person all the way to adulthood to the point of pushing

them to repeat the damages that they have suffered themselves on their children (Berastegui and

Salva, 2021, p. 1).

Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviors

Beliefs refer, for this particular purpose, to those explanations, thoughts and principles that are

held regarding the ways of educating, guiding and disciplining children and adolescents (Myers, 1994),

with a subjective character based on one's own experience. Knowledge, is related to information on the

rights and ways to raise children and adolescents, which come from experience and reason (Canedo, 2003;

Ramirez, 2009).

Beliefs, as well as ways of thinking, feeling and acting, are reflected in attitudes and behaviors

toward the implementation of rights and particular situations that lead to the use of any kind of violence

against children and adolescents during upbringing. From these thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors,

people build rules, agreements, opinions, and social norms based on their culture (Martinez et al., 2004).

Pedagogy for Transformation

The pedagogical actions for transformation correspond to the democratic acts or practices that

promote processes of teaching and learning in people in order to strengthen, reconstruct and create

realities and skills aimed, in this particular case, to a non‐violent, loving and respectful parenting. These

actions take into account human rights, personal history and the characteristics of territory and culture.

In addition, they recognize all people as agents of change (Freire, 1982; Mejia, 2015).

Pedagogical actions can take place from the interaction among people, which gives rise to

reflection based on the recognition of children's rights, the plurality of socio‐cultural contexts,

experiences, needs, interests, uses, customs and worldview. Also, they have the ability to promote the

transformation of beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and social norms of individuals and groups of

children and adolescents; likewise, on the ways of raising and educating, and in particular, on the use of

corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment against them.

As per the foregoing, the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy develops perspectives and

constructions for a social and cultural transformation that promotes a non‐violent, loving, nurturing,

boundaries‐based parental care and through a respectful and democratic relationship with children and

adolescents.

Non‐violent Care with Comprehensive Development and Family Strengthening

The strategy is based on the definitions from the National Policy for Children and Adolescents and

the National Public Policy for Family Support & Strengthening, wherein family is understood as a

“collective subject of rights and a political agent as a unit, a network of relationships and are the primary

and fundamental ties of human development” (Government of Colombia, 2018, p. 25). Similarly, the

family is understood as a subject in a plural sense and is assigned a co‐responsibility role for the

comprehensive protection of children and adolescents along with society and the State. Its capacity is as

well, noted for promoting the development of each of its members collectively and socially (Government

of Colombia, 2018, p. 11).

In summary, the family is considered the first agent of socialization and the most important care

environment in childhood and adolescence. Therefore; love, care, values, respect and limits that do not

affect children's rights must prevail in it. Similarly, care can be exercised through playful and pedagogical

actions developing skills and habits that make people happy in their present, and that guide their

behaviors in the future and the way they relate to others since childhood. From a broader approach, the

home environment can be considered the first place where children and adolescents exercise their rights.

It is relevant to recognize the diversity and plurality of families living in the national territory. In

Colombia, “the system of extended families prevails, where models of shared coexistence between

multiple generations (parents, grandparents, grandchildren, great‐grandchildren, uncles, godchildren,

brothers, etc.) dominate”, and there are different types of parentage, since the members of a family “end

up being relatives by consanguinity, affinity and/or community, characterized not only by being a

community of coexistence but also by maintaining productive structures based on reciprocity, mutual

support and safeguarding of their cultural reproduction” (Government of Colombia, 2018, p. 25)

In this respect, indigenous, Afro‐descendants and Roma populations, as collective subjects of

rights, practice care according to their organization, worldview and autonomy; to this end, the strategy

takes into account differential actions that contribute to preventing corporal punishment, and always

privileges children and adolescents as legal subjects of rights.

However, care or parenting is related to actions taken by parents, family members or caregivers

to ensure the development and growth of children and adolescents. Thus, they provide food, protection,

love, respect, play and recreation, among others, which ensure their survival and integration into social

life (Myers, 1994; Aguirre, 2000).

Non‐violent care, in particular, must be a permanent process of accompaniment, based on

practices of care, protection, education and guidance based on loving, emotional and respectful ties,

effective communication, recognition of rights and differences, as well as in the definition of clear limits

agreed among family members. These nurturing practices are adapted to life stages, achievements,

characteristics and circumstances of those children and adolescents, and are protective factors that

enable their well‐being and comprehensive development.

The non‐violent, loving and respectful care favors comprehensive development, understood as the

process of permanent transformation, through which children and adolescents during their lifetime and

through meaningful experiences, in particular, develop their skills, identity and autonomy (Government

of Colombia, 2018).

It is important to recognize that families require support in the exercise of care by strengthening

and promoting various aspects:

● Emotional management in the family environment: comprises the ability to identify, understand,

express and regulate emotions in an assertive and autonomous manner, which allows for

maintaining healthy relationships and to experience satisfaction and wellbeing in a family

environment (Bisquerra, Pérez, 2007).

● Coexistence and conflict resolution in the household: the use of techniques and skills to address

conflicts and discover and resolve the causes that originated them, are instrumental to achieve

their transformation or dissolution (Cascón, 2001; Torres, 1999).

● Family mental health: this is the state of psychological, emotional and social well‐being of families

and their members. It is a protective factor that promotes well‐being in children and adolescents,

strengthens family coexistence, and prevents and decreases risk factors for the use of violence

during care (World Health Organization, 2018).

● Psychological support in the home environment: comprises actions carried out by professionals

trained to guide families by allowing the development and strengthening of the home

environment, providing psychological resources and strengthening individual and collective skills

based on the particularities and context of each family (IASC Reference Group on Mental Health

and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies, 2010).

Although the concepts included in the document are fundamental for the implementation of the

National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy, it is essential to take into account the knowledge and

experiences of communities, families and environments in which children and adolescents grow and

develop. Also, taking into account the ones from experts and organizations that have worked on strategies

and actions aimed at preventing violence against children and adolescents and promoting their

comprehensive development.

Chapter 3 – Legal Framework

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1959, recognized the rights

of children and adolescents. It took into account, among other principles, that “the child shall enjoy special

protection and have opportunities and services, provided by law and by other means, so that they may

grow physically, mentally, socially, morally and spiritually with freedom and dignity”. This means that

children and adolescents are recognized as subjects of law and need special protection, care and attention

from their parents, caregivers, as well as society and the State.

Subsequently, the UN General Assembly Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recognized

that children and adolescents are individuals with the right to full physical, mental and social development

and can freely express their views. Furthermore, “State Parties shall take all appropriate measures to

ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the

status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members”

(Article 2), And “they shall not be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or

punishment” (Article 31).

Colombia ratified the previous convention by integrating it into the constitutionality block. Also,

the 1991 Political Constitution expressly defined that human dignity and the best interests of children and

adolescents prevail over others, which implies that the State, the family and society must guarantee their

protection, comprehensive development and free development of their personality. In this regard, the

Constitutional Court ruled that the best interest is characterized by being: (i) real, as far as it relates to the

particular needs of the minor and their special physical and psychological skills; (ii) independent of the

arbitrary criterion (…) or whim of the parents; (iii) relational, since the protection of the rights of the minor

prevails in the presence of conflicting interests; (iv) coherent with the comprehensive and healthy

development of the child's personality (Ruling C‐313 of 2014).

Article 44 of the Constitution, for its part, recognizes that children and adolescents have the right

to “life, physical integrity, health, and social security, balanced food, their name and nationality, to have

a family and not to be separated from it, care and love, education and culture, recreation, and free

expression of their opinion. They shall be protected against all forms of neglect, physical or moral violence,

kidnapping, sale, sexual abuse, labor or economic exploitation and dangerous work”.

15 years after this Constitution was adopted, the country made progress in the formal and legal

recognition of children and adolescents as subjects of law, through the enactment of the Children and

Adolescents Code. Law 1098 of 2006, Article 18, provides for “protection against mistreatment and abuse

of all kinds by parents, legal representatives, caregivers and members of their family, school and

community groups”. In this case, child abuse is understood as any punishment, humiliation, physical and

psychological abuse, mistreatment, among others.

In addition, Article 38 establishes the obligations of the family, society and the State: The family,

for example, has an obligation to “promote equal rights, affection, solidarity and respect among all its

members. And shall (…) protect them against any situation that threatens their life, dignity and personal

integrity”. Society has an obligation to “know, respect and promote the rights of children and adolescents,

and their prevailing character”. And the State, among other obligations, shall “ensure the conditions for

the exercise of rights and prevent their threat or affectation through the design and implementation of

public policies on children and adolescents (…) as well as to promote respect for physical, psychic and

intellectual integrity of children and adolescents”.

Based on the above policy framework, the country has established public policies with which the

rights of children and adolescents are developed and guaranteed in a comprehensive manner. Among the

most important are; the National Public Policy for Family Support and Strengthening, the Public Policy for

Early Childhood and the National Policy for Children and Adolescents.

The National Public Policy for Family Support and Strengthening 2014‐2024, consider families as

collective subjects of rights and agents of transformation in a broad, plural and diverse sense. It also

recognizes that they are made up of various members, which are related through consanguinity and/or

emotional ties. Similarly, it recognizes the autonomy of their life projects, either as individuals or as a

group, in the understanding that they have the capacity to promote the development of each member. In

the same way, it promotes democratic relationships in families and the management of institutional

capacities to guarantee their rights. In this sense, chapter 3 of the policy “promotes the development of

the capacities of families for coexistence and conflict resolution”.

Public Policy for Early Childhood was developed as State policy through Law 1804 of 2016. Its

main objective is the comprehensive development of all children from gestation to 6 years of age, which

is achieved by guaranteeing rights to them and the expectant mothers.

The 2018‐2030 National Policy on Children & Adolescents contributes to the development of

people between the ages of 6 and 18 by generating social, human and material conditions that favor them.

In this regard, two achievements necessary for the protection of children and adolescents are highlighted:

(i) children and adolescents have a family that welcomes and supports them in their development,

meaning that “families and communities assume the role of caring for children and adolescents,

promoting their development and recognizing their rights”; and (ii) the building of identity, based on

respect and valuation of diversity, for which it is considered that “children and adolescents have adults,

families and communities that respect them, and promote the construction of their own identity,

understand their needs, and they act in accordance with this understanding, promoting tolerance and

non‐discrimination” (National Government 2018‐2030, p. 3).

In addition to the normative developments mentioned above, as well as public policies, the

Colombian State has undertaken to eliminate corporal punishment, cruel, humiliating or degrading

treatment, in compliance with General Comment No. 8 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child held

in 2006. It urges States to take into account that “the promotion of non‐violent forms of parental care and

education should be part of all points of contact between the State, parents and children, in health,

welfare and education services, including early childhood institutions, day‐care centers and schools...”

(Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2006, p. 15).

Finally, in fulfillment of the commitments made in the 2018‐2022 National Development Plan, “A

Pact for Colombia, A Pact for Equality” and in the framework of the National Partnership Against Violence

Toward Children and Adolescents, President Ivan Duque passed Law 2089/2021, which prohibits the use

of corporal punishment and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment, and establishes the

implementation of the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy. It proposes pedagogical and mental

health actions, psychological treatment and psycho‐emotional management; also, the creation of training

centers, and the offer of courses or tools to educate, guide and discipline without violence.

Consequently, the strategy was built with the participation of the entities responsible for the

national order, the territorial entities, civil society organizations working for the rights of children and

adolescents, the private sector, international cooperation agencies, parents, children and adolescents’

associations.

Chapter 4 ‐ National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy Formulation Process:

Intertwining Voices, Experiences and Actions

Article 5 of the Law 2089/2021, determined six months for the implementation of the National

Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy, beginning on May 14, 2021, date on which it was passed. The design

of this strategy began with the creation of an intersectoral round table, with the participation of the formal

delegates of the responsible national entities: the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, the Ministry of

National Education, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Information and

Communication Technologies, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice & Law, and the

President's Advisory Council on Childhood and Adolescence.

In addition, the strategy was prepared with technical and methodological support by Corporación Juego

y Niñez, Universidad del Norte, UNICEF and the consulting firms We Push and Atelier.

First, an enlistment was carried out to plan the preparation of the strategy, as well as the

participation of institutions and parents' associations and the review of technical documents, particularly

the General Comment No. 8 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Inspire Model, the

publications of the Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the "Report on Corporal

Punishment and the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents" of the Organization of American States.

Regarding the above, it was defined that the National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy would

consist of four initial components, adjusted in the joint construction process: (i) Strengthening of the

promotion, prevention and care services associated with the use of corporal punishment, cruel,

humiliating or degrading treatment; (ii) social mobilization; (iii) participation for social and cultural

change; (iv) knowledge management; and a cross‐cutting component of monitoring, follow‐up and

evaluation. Regarding the methodological development, five phases were carried out, which are shown

in Image 1 and described below:

Source: Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), adapted by the authors.

Figure 1: Preparation Stages for the National Pedagogical Strategy and for the prevention of corporal

punishment, cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment

Phase 1. Round tables and consultations with actors: In this phase of consultation and joint

construction, participants included: (i) delegates from the national Government; (ii) territorial

governments; (iii) national and international experts and academics; (iv) representatives of civil society

organizations; (v) corporate social responsibility offices; (vi) parent associations; (vii) parents and

caregivers; and (viii) children and adolescents. These actors contributed to the strategy preparation

through three types of consultations: (i) a virtual form that inquired about strategies, programs, projects

and other actions taking place in the country to prevent the use of corporal punishment and cruel,

Documents

National Pedagogical & Prevention Strategy Against