Corporal punishment subject of research (by Adamirea Tijerino).

Simon Fraser University School of Criminology graduand Adamirea Tijerino has studied the results of corporal punishment on children and argues for the abolition of section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada. "My arguments for the abolition ... are based on the findings of 45 empirical studies, 20 court cases, and extensive literature review articles. They indicate that corporal punishment of children doesn't ensure their long-term compliance, but rather it may cause them life long physical, psychological, and emotional harm, and in some cases it may result in tragic consequences--such as the death of the child," says Tijerino.

The graduand's thesis also refers to several countries, including Sweden, where the abolition of corporal punishment has led to a significant decrease in the acceptance and use of physical punishment of children. Tijerino became interested in family violence issues as a teenager growing up in Honduras. "Articles about children being sexually and physically abused in Honduras and my exposure to this issue through the BC Institute Against Family Violence prompted me to take a closer look at it," she explains.