“No Hit Zones” Hope to Prevent Spanking of Children or Hitting Others

Staff members in certain public spaces will intervene.

It is child abuse prevention month, and part of that includes an effort by some to get parents to move away from spanking children.

Thursday, supporters of that effort gathered at the YMCA in Hermantown to promote an area coalition that is establishing and increasing the number of “No Hit Zones.”

The zones will be spaces and agencies where others will step in when they see anyone striking someone else. It applies to adults hitting adults, children hitting children, or parents spanking children.

“So that’s when the No Hit Zones are going to come into play,” said Ally Washenesky, Facilitator for the Duluth Child Abuse Prevention Coalition. “Within the confines of those agencies, we’re not going to allow hitting. If we see that happen, we’re going to step in as employees or as workers at those agencies and give additional information about different positive parenting systems that can be in place instead of corporal punishment,” Washenesky said.

The effort is being compared to when some buildings banned smoking, before it became a law. The coalition says one goal is to move past the stage of being a bystander and not saying anything.

“There’s lots of studies to back up why using spanking or corporal punishment is really damaging to children. But, that’s still a historical narrative that we’re trying to break down,” Washenesky said. “We’re not quite there yet. So, by designating these spaces, I might not be able to help parents find other positive resources in their own home, but when they’re out in public in these spaces, that’s where we’ll be able to offer those.”

The coalition urges others who wish to create more public No Hit Zones to contact firstwitness.org.