Analysis of awareness campaigns against the physical punishment of minors in Spain. Content and proposed strategies to change attitudes1

Análisis de las campañas contra el castigo físico a menores en España. Contenido y propuesta de estrategias para el cambio de actitudes

1 This research has been carried out based on data obtained from the European project “PUNISH-ER. Eradication of the use of physical punishment on children within family and institutions” (JUST / 2010 / DAP3 / AG / 1337), financed by the Daphne Initiative of the European Union. Its results serve as the basis for the objectives of a new European project, “Hands Up” - Promoting the effective elimination of corporal punishment against children (JUST / 2015 / RDAP / AG / CORP). This new project tries to address the difficulties and shortcomings detected in the Daphne Punish-er project.

doxa.comunicación | 26, pp. 59-80 | 59

January-June 2018

ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978

How to cite this article:

Rosser Limiñana, A. (2018). Analysis of awareness campaigns against the physical punishment of minors in Spain. Content and proposed strategies to change attitudes. Doxa Comunicación, 26, 59-80.

Ana Rosser Limiñana. PhD in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Health Psychology. Since 1999 works as a pro-fessor in the Department of Communication and Social Psychology at the University of Alicante where she heads the research group IPSIFAM (Psychosocial intervention with families and children) and the Inclusion Chair. Her main lines of research are the protection of children at social risk, prevention and intervention with victims of gender violence, and the integration of people with disabilities. Her latest publication, in 2018, has been ‘Prob-lems of child behaviour and parental competences in mothers in contexts of gender violence’, in Gaceta Sanitaria.

University of Alicante, Spain

[email protected]

ORCID: 0000-0001-9388-6696

Resumen:

El castigo físico a los menores ha sido una práctica habitual de dis-ciplina parental durante siglos. En los últimos tiempos se han de-sarrollado diferentes estrategias para su erradicación. Entre ellas, la de sensibilizar a la población sobre sus riesgos, proponiendo formas alternativas de disciplina. En este trabajo se analizan el contexto y los elementos persuasivos utilizados en las campañas publicitarias emitidas a nivel institucional en España para este fin y su efectividad. Se concluye sobre la necesidad de potenciar el desarrollo de campa-ñas de este tipo a través de los medios de comunicación, dándoles una mayor difusión que permita mejorar su efectividad, y ofreciendo es-trategias educativas alternativas al castigo físico para que se convier-tan en un verdadero instrumento de cambio de actitudes.

Palabras clave:

Castigo físico a menores; Campañas publicitarias; Sensibilización; Cambio de actitudes, Análisis de contenido.

Recibido: 11/09/2017 - Aceptado: 18/12/2017

Abstract:

The physical punishment of minors has been a common practice in parental discipline for centuries. In recent times, different strategies have been developed for its eradication. Among them, raising awareness among the population about the risks, and proposing alternative forms of discipline. In this paper, we analyse the context and the persuasive features used in awareness campaigns issued at the institutional level in Spain for this purpose and its effectiveness. We have concluded that there is a need to promote the development of campaigns of this type through the media, providing them with greater reach in order to improve their effectiveness, and offering educational strategies as an alternative to physical punishment for the purpose of making these types of strategies real instruments in changing attitudes.

Keywords:

Corporal punishment of minors; Publicity campaigns; Raising awareness; Attitude changes; Content analysis.

Received: 11/09/2017 - Accepted: 18/12/2017