News
Poster campaign aims to encourage positive parenting
18/08/2008
The VRU has teamed up with ParentLine Scotland to produce a series of posters to highlight the importance of how we speak to our children.
The posters, which feature children with harsh words scrawled across their faces, include the number of the free, confidential helpline - 0808 800 2222. They are accompanied by a leaflet written by ParentLine Scotland which offers parents tips on how to cope when they feel at the end of their tether.
"The harsh, hurtful things parents say can stay with a child for life"
Anne Houston, chief executive of CHILDREN 1ST, which runs the helpline, said: "We are delighted to be working with the VRU to raise awareness of the impact of emotional and physical violence on children and to encourage parents to think about the way they relate to their children."
"We know that the harsh, hurtful things parents say can stay with a child for life, and our helpline ParentLine Scotland receives many calls from parents who feel guilty for shouting at or hitting their children, and who are looking for less damaging ways to discipline."
"We would encourage any parent who is stressed, frustrated or worried to give us a call, talk through the alternatives and take the first step to breaking the cycle of violence in Scotland."
The advice in the ParentLine Scotland leaflet, available to read below, includes: praising children for what they do well, imposing consistent rules and boundaries, focusing on punishing the behaviour, not the child, and knowing when and where to go for support.
"What we want to do is to get people to think about their behaviour"
Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, Head of the Violence Reduction Unit, said: "We're not trying to tell parents how to bring up their children, and we're not saying don't discipline your child. But we recognise that being a parent isn't straightforward. Children don't come with a manual and it's easy to get frustrated and cross and say things which can have an impact far beyond what we see on the surface."
"Everybody knows that children, young children in particular, imitate the behaviour of those who look after them. And if they learn to resolve conflict with violence or anger, then we should not be surprised to see them carry on that pattern of behaviour with their own children - who among us wants to see that?"
"What we want to do is to get people to think about their behaviour, the things they say, and the impact that that might have on their children."
The posters will be sent out to schools, nurseries, playgroups, doctors' surgeries and libraries across Scotland. They form part of the Violence Reduction Unit's early years' initiative, which aims at preventing violence through education and attitudinal change.
Click here to download the Violence Reduction Unit factsheet (large file, 5Mb).
Last updated: 11/04/2009
