Principle of non-violent parenting enshrined in Swiss law

The principle of non-violent parenting is enshrined in law Keystone-SDA

Parents must bring up children without the use of violence. This principle is now explicitly enshrined in the Swiss Civil Code.

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Following the House of Representatives, the Senate has also spoken out in favour of this.

On Tuesday, it approved an amendment to the Civil Code submitted by the government by 33 votes to four with seven abstentions. The House of Representatives had already approved it in May. The aim of the bill is to clarify that violence in parenting is not permitted and thus contribute to the prevention of violence.

+ Almost half of children in Switzerland experience domestic violence

The government bill provides for two new sentences in the Civil Code. The first enshrines the absence of violence in law. According to the second, the cantons must ensure that parents and children can turn to counselling centres together or individually in the event of difficulties in parenting.

One in five children in Switzerland regularly experiences psychological violence. This was revealed in a study presented by the organisation Child Protection Switzerland in November 2024.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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