What is SpankOut Day, USA?
"Raising Responsible (Good) Kids Without Hitting"

SpankOut Day USA was initiated in 1998 to give widespread attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote non-violent ways of teaching children appropriate behavior. EPOCH-USA (End Physical Punishment of Children) sponsors SpankOut Day USA on April 30th of each year. All parents, guardians, and caregivers are encouraged to refrain from hitting children on this day, and to seek alternative methods of discipline through programs available in community agencies, churches and schools.

Since 1998, over 500 informational events on child discipline have been carried out by organizations on SpankOut Day USA. Hundreds of individuals have participated in this observance.

Here's what people say about SpankOut Day USA:

"We need to support SpankOut Day USA because non-violent discipline is the only way to model the kind of behavior we want our children to emulate, thus significantly reducing violence in our society."

Barbara Nicholson
President of Attachment Parenting International, Nashville, TN
"We need to support SpankOut Day USA because every human being, above all every child, has the absolute right to bodily integrity, a right which is long overdue to become law."

Victoria S., Baltimore, MD
"We need to support SpankOut Day USA because spanking is an inappropriate method of discipline in a civilized society. Intimidation and fear are not effective teachers; knowledge and love are."

Sherri D., Hillsboro, MO
"Would Jesus of Nazareth sanction spanking? Not the Jesus I know! This is the Jesus who taught non-violence and warned against anger and getting even. The Jesus who had compassion for children when adults wanted to shove them aside. To sense the innocence of children, Jesus said, is to glimpse the kingdom of God. Hitting kids remains the favorite activity of some who call themselves Christian. But to engage in this ugly practice, I am convinced, is to trivialize both the words and the example of the One who calls Christians to a new way of living. SpankOut Day USA is a good day to ponder these truths. For people of faith, every day should be SpankOut Day."

The Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf, United Methodist Pastor.
"Smacking or spanking, the beating of children, is a dangerous lesson in bad behavior. Children, like the rest of us, have a right not to be hit or humiliated. Most parents who hit their children deeply regret it. Smacking hurts children - and not just physically. The aim of a no-hitting day is to get parents to stop and to think about it; to recognize that there are many positive and non-violent ways to encourage the behavior they want from their children; and to realize they never need to hit a child again."

Peter Newell, Joint Coordinator of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, London, England
"In l979, Sweden became the first country to end all corporal punishment of children. In the beginning, the Swedish government decided it was important to educate the public about the bad effects of corporal punishment and to help parents and child minders learn about effective alternatives. For countries that have not ended all corporal punishment of children, a no-hitting day is an opportunity for concerned organizations and individuals to promote positive discipline of children and to call for an end to corporal punishment."

Mali Nilsson
Programme Officer on Corporal Punishment
Save the Children Sweden
"We need to support SpankOut Day USA because we believe in the goodness of children and that they are gifts from our God."

Denise R., Columbus, OH