Will the CAS Investigate if I Spank my Child?
In June, the CAS in St. Thomas investigated a family in Aylmer and removed the
children involved allegedly because of the parents' refusal to change their
ways of disciplining their children. International controversy has been sparked
regarding the parents' right to discipline their children. Some families have
indicated they are frightened that the CAS will remove their children if they
are spanked. In a Letter to the Editor that was carried in several of our community
newspapers, we tried to help families better understand the issues involved.
July 16, 2001
To The Editor:
Over the past several days there have been many media reports
about the intervention taken by a Children's Aid Society in
another part of Ontario when seven children were removed from
their family. The headlines are suggesting that the children
were removed because their parents
refused to promise not to spank them as a method of discipline.
This story has raised considerable concern for many in our
community who are wondering what right the CAS has to interfere
in the lives of families in such circumstances.
While we do not know any more specific information than most
other citizens of Ontario about this case, we would like to
clarify for our community the role of the Children's Aid Society
when dealing with situations
where parents discipline their children.
As a Children's Aid Society, we do not encourage the use of physical punishment,
such as spanking in order to discipline a child. However, we do recognize that
spanking is a generally acceptable mode of punishment used by many parents to
symbolize a parent's disapproval of a child's behavior and not to injure or inflict
great pain on a child.
We advocate other forms of discipline for the following reasons:
- too often, we are called to investigate situations where such punishment
has gone too far, and in spite of the parental intention, significant injury
has resulted to the child � the research that has been conducted into the
effectiveness of physical punishment has determined that the learning for
a child from these situations is short-lived � a child learns that "might
is right" � we believe that there are other, more effective and safer ways
to communicate displeasure and help a child learn appropriate behaviors
- We will become involved in investigating situations where: � a child has
sustained an injury as a result of excessive or inappropriate physical punishment
� a child's age or size would contraindicate the use of such measures e.g..
Spanking an infant � a child is likely to be injured because of the type of
punishment used e.g.. Where a child has been struck with an inanimate object
The process used within Ontario Child Welfare agencies involves the interviewing
of a child and family to determine what has happened. Parents are cautioned about
the potential danger to a child if physical punishment continues. Parents are
offered programs and materials that are supportive to assisting them in dealing
more appropriately with undesirable behaviors on the part of their child or children.
A child would not be removed from his or her family unless there was
good reason to believe that the child was at substantial risk of
physical harm because of the unwillingness of a parent or caregiver
to recognize the importance of
using acceptable modes of physical punishment.
Should it ever become necessary for a CAS to remove a child from the
family home, the child welfare officials must place all of their
evidence before a family court judge within five working days.
This provides a third party who determines if such action was
necessary in order to keep a child safe.
The Simcoe County Children's Aid Society exists to keep its
community's children safe and to support families in their
efforts to raise happy, healthy and productive children.
We hope that this information will serve to clarify some
of the issues raised by this controversial
situation in the southwest part of our Province.
Yours truly,
Judi Shields
Director of Communications and Quality Assurance
