Sunday is International No Hitting day and the Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society wants to make sure parents know there are alternatives to corporal punishment.
A "No Hitting Zone" set up in Devonshire Mall Saturday provided information to the public about discipline strategies.
Community outreach manager Tina Gatt was on hand with several volunteers reaching out to parents in the hopes of showing them some alternatives to spanking.
"We're just here to have a conversation with parents about what they're doing in their homes around discipline and how can we encourage them to not hit or hurt in the name of discipline," says Gatt.
She says one key to avoiding spanking is to recognize when things have gotten to the point of frustration and try and find another way.
Gatt told AM800 News, striking children is not the answer.
"When they're [parents] using any kind of corporal punishment against their children, they've already reached the point where they've completely frustrated with their child's behavior and they're reacting," Gatt said.
Injuries are the main concern when parents spank their children, but Gatt says physical harm isn't the only outcome when using physical discipline on a child.
"Spanking happens when parents have lost their cool and sometimes it can lead to injuries to children," she says. "Short of that it can actually lead to emotional impacts on children. It's going to have an impact on the relationship with that parent."
Gatt says the Children's Aid Society is always actively trying to educate parents on the dangers of corporal punishment, but International No Hitting Day shines a spotlight on the issue.
For more information on what can be done to eliminate hitting while disciplining a child visit www.wecas.on.ca.