Day of Nonviolent Education

The Day of Nonviolent Education is celebrated every year on April 30 and commemorates the historical shift in education towards a respectful, non-violent approach to children. The event has its origins in the late 1990s, when the goal of banning corporal punishment from education was increasingly pursued in Germany. A significant milestone was the legal anchoring of non-violent parenting in the German Civil Code - specifically in Section 1631 (2) - which was introduced in 2000. This legal framework ensures that children have the right to an upbringing without physical and emotional violence, which means that outdated disciplinary methods are consistently rejected.

Over the years, social attitudes have changed in a clearly positive direction. Numerous representative surveys, including one conducted by UNICEF Germany in cooperation with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Ulm University Hospital, confirm this trend: while around three quarters of respondents still considered a “slap on the bottom” to be acceptable in 2005, this proportion had fallen to around 30.9% by 2025. Similar declines can also be seen for other educational measures such as light slaps on the face. These figures are emblematic of the social dialogue and successful implementation of non-violent parenting principles that have driven both legal measures and awareness-raising campaigns over many years.

Another key aspect of the day is the promotion of initiatives and campaigns that encourage as many people as possible - from parents and teachers to political decision-makers - to think about how to deal with violence (not only physical, but also psychological or emotional) in a respectful and conscious way. Institutions such as the Kinderschutzbund and UNICEF rely on campaigns such as the #NiemalsGewalt campaign, which uses social media to reformulate and disseminate derogatory or violence- trivializing parenting slogans. These measures send a signal to all those involved that violence in education must never be tolerated and that language - just like physical actions - can have a lasting impact on children.

It is particularly noteworthy that despite the clearly measurable progress in society's rejection of violent influences, dialogues continue to be held about the remaining challenges. Some voices point out that the Day of Nonviolent Education is still necessary even if nonviolent education is now considered the standard in many families, schools and institutions. It serves as an annual impulse not only to celebrate what has been achieved, but also to remain vigilant - because there are still areas, such as the recognition of forms of neglect or subtle psychological stress, that need to be tackled more intensively.

In addition to the official events and high-profile media campaigns, the day is also used intensively in everyday school and educational settings: Workshops, teaching units and special projects make the topic tangible and relevant to everyday life for children, young people and educators. It is not just about communicating facts, but also about an interactive exchange and the development of strategies on how violence in all its forms can be avoided. This raises awareness of human rights and the importance of respectful, empathetic communication in everyday life.