Aim is to Raise Awareness that Corporal Punishment is Top Risk for Child Abuse
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark joined Dr. Mel Schneiderman,, Senior Vice President of The New York Foundling’s Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection, Dr. Jaime Hoffman-Rosenfeld, Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Michael Brady, CEO of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, to announce a new awareness campaign aimed at reducing child abuse.
Some stores in the area known as the Hub—where East 149th Street, Willis Avenue and Third Avenue meet—have agreed to be designated “No Hit Zones,” calm, safe and caring environments for children where adults and children pledge no hitting of any kind. The initiative addresses the most prevalent risk factor of child abuse: corporal punishment.
The No Hit Zone initiative is a comprehensive program that includes multiple strategies to
effectively influence attitudes, norms, and behaviors. Family homes, schools, hospitals, religious
institutions, communities, and many more can be No Hit Zones. Signs posted in the No Hit Zone
offer a 24-hour hotline number for parents and caregivers who may need crisis counseling.
District Attorney Clark said, “I think this campaign will help people to realize how corporal punishment can increase the risk of child abuse, and I am pleased to launch it in the Bronx community with our dedicated partners Dr. Schneiderman and Dr. Hoffman-Rosenfeld. I know parents and caregivers sometimes are overwhelmed, and I want them to know help is available during crisis moments. I am grateful to Michael Brady, CEO of the Third Avenue BID, for his assistance once again in a community effort, and for the merchants and business owners who will post the signs.”
Dr. Schneiderman said, “The New York Foundling is thrilled to participate in the No Hit Zone initiative and commends the Bronx DA’s office in their efforts to create an environment of safety for children and families. The New York Foundling has been dedicated to protecting and supporting New York’s children for over 150 years. Through our Fontana Center for Child Protection, we work tirelessly to reduce child maltreatment, and are involved with many local and national efforts to reduce the reliance on and use of corporal punishment. We are proud to partner with other agencies and offices across the city to work toward this mission.”
Dr. Hoffman-Rosenfeld said, “As a Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Medical Director of the Bronx Child Advocacy Center, it is with great honor and optimism that we are partnering with the District Attorney of the Bronx, Darcel Clark, to end hitting, spanking and other forms of corporal punishment of children. By taking this stand, we are sending a message that people, and especially children, deserve to live in an environment of safety and comfort, free from violence. Spanking is one of the most common risk factors for child physical abuse.”
Mr. Brady said, “Being a parent and a caregiver is difficult. Oftentimes we feel there is no support. The No Hit Zone program encourages a balanced and healthy home life for children and families. The Third Avenue BID is proud to partner on this initiative and launch it in the busiest commercial district in the Bronx where thousands of families live, work, and shop.”
The National No Hit Zone Committee is part of the National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment (NIECP), whose overall goal is to help develop, coordinate, and lead a national campaign to end corporal punishment in the United States. NIECP is sponsored by three organizations: the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, US Alliance to End the Hitting of Children, and the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection of the New York Foundling.
For more information, go to https://nohitzone.com/
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