Alison Gopnik is at the center of helping us understand how babies and young children think and learn.She has a lovely article in the July, 2010, issue of Scientific American (pages 76-81) which summarizes new developments in this area. She notes: “Even the youngest children know, experience and learn far more than scientists ever thought possible.”

Legislation is being introduced in the US House of Representatives to ban physical punishment in schools (HR 5628). Many medical and psychological organizations support this ban and have position statements which condemn physical punishment and offer solutions. These include the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), the National Association of Social Workers (www.nasw.org), the National Alliance of Pupil Services Organizations (www.napso.org), and the American Psychoanalytic Association (www.apsa.org).

This issue affects human beings around the world. The Position Statement of the American Psychoanalytic Association is quite complete. It highlights the recent research, the national and international issues involved, and the alternatives and solutions.

Legislation to ban corporal punishment in schools has been introduced in the US House of Representatives.  New York Representative Carolyn McCarthy recently introduced a bill “To end the use of corporal punishment in schools …” (HR 5628)