About Us
Spare the Rod (STR) is a Philadelphia initiative to replace physical punishment with other, more effective discipline measures. It was launched on June 1, 2010 with the Spare the Rod conference, featuring keynote speaker Geoffrey Canada. The STR collaborative is comprised of government, health care, child welfare, and parenting organizations who are interested in promoting Philadelphia as a “no-hitting, no-spanking” city. The next phase of the work involves raising awareness about the negative consequences of corporal punishment, supporting parents to employ positive alternatives to corporal punishment, and building a community where children are not punished with physical discipline.
The goals of the STR Collaborative are to:
• Advocate with city agencies to adopt position statements that promote an end to corporal punishment and encourage positive non-physical discipline alternatives;
• Support parenting providers to utilize curricula that offer and teach alternatives to physical discipline;
• Sponsor trainings on alternatives to corporal punishment;
• Disseminate the latest research regarding alternatives to corporal punishment; and
• Support local research and evaluation on this topic.
At this time, the best way to stay informed about Spare the Rod is through the website.
Institute For Safe Families
3502 Scotts Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19129
phone: (215) 843-2046
fax: (215) 843-2049
email: info@instituteforsafefamilies.org