Japan bans the corporal punishment of children (10)

2 March, 2020

Dear all:

Although it is important to be respectful of contextual and relational features, there exist several ethical concerns regarding practices thataffect the “best interest of the child” and specially that do not consider

the “Harm principle”.

There is another principle: the right of an “open future” that although it is most frequently used in terms of genetic information, I think that it could also be utilized at this time because if punishment or any other

practice really or potentially could be able to affect mental health, it also compromises the right of the child of an “open future”.

Best regards and thanks in advance,

Irene M

CHIFA profile: Irene Melamed is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist. Master in Bioethics and Law, University of Barcelona. Member of the Southern Cone Initiative on Child's rights. Professor of Bioethics. Vice-president of the Society for Comprehensive Adolescent Health, SASIA, Argentina 2015-2018. dramelamed AT gmail.com She is a CHIFA Country Representative for Argentina http://www.hifa.org/support/members/irene-0