Social approval of violence against children – a picture and dynamics from a perspective of Polish society

Studies concerning a social acceptance of violent behaviors in education are an important factor in actions directed to eliminate the problem. Social attitudes towards using violence in educational agenda are an important cultural background of its existence. They are postulated by various reports and recommendations as allowing to monitor conditions of the problem of violence in upbringing, and, indirectly, also its occurrence. The article presents in a form of a report the results of country-wide studies from year 2017 carried out in Polish society. The dynamics of basic parameters of these attitudes, monitored for the last couple of years, is depicted. In a dimension of theoretical context of the text, there is a reference to the newest research regarding drawbacks of physical punishment and a need to counteract those. Data from own research conducted for Children’s Rights Spokesperson show, on one hand, a constantly alarmingly high level of approval of violent behaviors against children used in their upbringing, and on the other hand, there are noticed positive tendencies of a decrease, suggesting generational changes and a turning point in an approval of violence in a relatively short period of time, which suggest an effectiveness of the actions undertaken in order to change the attitudes.