The NYSPCC, NIECP and the U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children Announce the Winners of the 2021 "Hit No More" Social Media Contest to End Corporal Punishment

NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (The NYSPCC), The National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment (NIECP) and The U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children, along with StopSpanking.org, The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), The New York Foundling Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection and Lives in the Balance, announced today the winners of the "Hit No More" Social Media Contest 2021, a competition designed to make the world a better place by using creativity to give voice to ending corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment–the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correcting or controlling the child's behavior–is becoming increasingly recognized around the world as a problematic disciplinary technique. In an effort to inform the public about the many negative effects of physical punishment and shift norms in the United States, the "Hit No More" Social Media Contest called on parents, children and professionals to submit social media content (short videos, memes, TikToks, etc.) to educate and encourage mindful alternatives to physical discipline and that illustrate that physical punishment is never okay to use.

The second competition honored individuals who created outstanding and persuasive social media content in two categories, "School Corporal Punishment", aimed at promoting the end of physical punishment in schools, and "Positive Discipline," aimed at promoting the use of positive and gentle parenting methods. Cash prizes were awarded to first and second place winners across categories, as well as to People's Choice winners–those entries that received the largest number of popular votes.

This year's winners, all of whom were selected by a panel of judges from within the sponsoring organizations, include:

• School Corporal Punishment (Over 18) Images: 1st Place - Nora Maus ($300); 2nd Place - Mayende Collins Israel ($200)
• School Corporal Punishment (Over 18) Videos: 1st Place - Manirahari Colline ($1,000); 2nd Place - Jordan Dillard ($500)
• School Corporal Punishment (Under 18) Images: 1st Place - Audrey Stephens ($100); 2nd Place - Zoe LaCheen-Fine ($75)
• School Corporal Punishment (Under 18) Videos: 1st Place - Zoe LaCheen-Fine ($200); 2nd Place - Audrey Stephens ($150)
• Positive Discipline (Over 18) Images: 1st Place - Patience Acom ($300); 2nd Place - Meghan Kaul ($200)
• Positive Discipline (Over 18) Videos: 1st Place - John Kenny Adeya ($1,000); 2nd Place - Leslie Schmerler and Trevor Raushi ($500)
• Positive Discipline (Under 18) Images: 1st Place - Zoe LaCheen-Fine ($100)
• Positive Discipline (Under 18) Videos: 1st Place - Siobhan Copeland ($200)
• People's Choice (Over 18) Images: 1st Place - John Kenny Adeya ($150)
• People's Choice (Over 18) Video: 1st Place - John Kenny Adeya ($250)
• People's Choice (Under 18) Images: 1st Place - Zoe LaCheen-Fine ($50)
• People's Choice (Under 18) Video: 1st Place - Zoe LaCheen-Fine ($100)

Entries were judged based on six criteria: Persuasiveness, the extent to which the entry persuaded the audience to stop spanking/using corporal punishment; Impact, the extent to which the entry had an emotional impact on the audience; Accuracy, the extent to which the entry accurately described the consequences of corporal punishment or the impact of positive parenting, etc.; Technical Quality, the extent to which the entry was aesthetically pleasing or included high quality artwork, acting, videography etc.; Originality, the extent to which the entry "stood out from the crowd"; and Dissemination Plan, the extent to which the plan would effectively help the entry go viral. All of the winning entries can be seen here.

"Each of the winners for this year's 'Hit No More' Social Media Contest exhibit a keen understanding of many of the negative consequences of hitting children," said George Holden, PhD, President, the U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children and Professor of Psychology, Southern Methodist University. "We are honored to be able to award them for their efforts in creatively expressing problems with physical discipline and effective alternatives. Through their efforts, people will become better informed about the damaging effects of physical discipline. The world will be a better place for children to thrive once parents and teachers stop using this antiquated disciplinary technique."

The use of corporal punishment in schools and at home is a critical issue that individuals across the country are trying to raise awareness of and remediate. Even Mayim Bialik, PhD, an American actress known for her roles in Blossom and The Big Bang Theory, has joined the movement to try to end this physically and emotionally harmful form of discipline. Earlier this year, Bialik shared her thoughts on the negative effects of corporal punishment, using image from the previous "Hit No More" Social Media Contest to strengthen her point. You can view the post here.

For more information about the contest and winners please see here.

Media Contact

Dr. Debangshu Roygardner, National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment, 1 212-660-1375, [email protected]

SOURCE National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment