 Parents use active listening to understand children’s thoughts. This allows parents to correct misunderstandings or mistaken lines of logic. Some of the easy things parents can do to provide their children with positive discipline include:  Make punishments fair and relative to the behaviour;  Keep calm;  Explain how they have misbehaved;  Require the child to perform a task as punishment. In summary, the Inquiry has found that all physical and harsh verbal punishment of children amounts to violence because of the negative consequences it can have, which also increase the risk of further violence. Evidence also shows that a ban on corporal punishment is not only possible but that the programmes required for it to be effective are often based on fundamental Fa’asamoa principles and the costs are easily covered by the savings they create. Furthermore, all of the arguments for corporal punishment have been shown to be false or without substance. The Inquiry was left with only one course of action to recommend. RECOMMENDATION 5: Government to commit to remove section 14 of the Infants Ordinance 1961 and to consult appropriately. Gradually move to ban corporal punishment and harsh verbal punishment in homes. • • • Awareness raising for parents on the harmful impacts of corporal punishment and harsh verbal punishment; Development of positive parenting programmes to be delivered by Village Family Safety Committees, through Village Representatives, the churches and other suitable vehicles; Monitoring of rates of violence towards children and attitudes towards physical and harsh verbal discipline. 13.1.2 Communication and Parent-Child Relationship INQUIRY FINDING 13: Talanoa (communication) between parents and child has broken down and has been replaced by violence. The lack of communication also places children at risk of further violence. A key characteristic of positive parenting is effective communication between parent and child and it is therefore no surprise that the Inquiry has found there to be a significant breakdown of this in Samoa. The Fa’asamoa is reciprocal in nature, what it demands of one it expects of the other. This is also a key