If we conclude that all physical and harsh verbal discipline of children is violence then it appears highly likely that this will only increase crime rates overall, whilst a ban on corporal punishment is likely to lower crime rates. There will likely be strong resistance to a corporal punishment ban but to oppose this goal is to condemn thousands of children and adults like Tavita,10 Solomona,11 Teuila,12 Masina13, Lani 14 or Sisilia15 to a lifetime of emotional and physical pain, suffering and even premature death. Those people who stand in the way of progress will be doing so in direct contradiction of the Fa’asamoa, the Constitution, the word of God and human rights. However, there will also be those who agree and over time there will be those who come to agree. In this period blame and accusations are not constructive, what is helpful is to consider exactly how this will be achieved. It is not realistic or sensible to think that it may be achieved overnight or simply through the passage of a piece of legislation. The fact that there will be resistance and that for some people it will take time to accept these findings means that a transitional period is necessary. It is not realistic or helpful to expect that parents can go from one approach to a totally different one without being given the necessary skills and support to do so. “Helping parents and caregivers understand the importance of positive, nonviolent discipline in child development and of close, effective parent child communication reduces harsh parenting practices, creates positive interactions and helps increase bonding between parents or caregivers and children – all factors that help prevent violence against children. Evaluations of these programmes also indicate that this type of prevention is less costly than paying for the consequences of violence against children.” INSPIRE: 7 Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children, WHO, Inquiry document 48 The WHO’s findings support the findings of the Inquiry in that the costs of addressing family violence are outweighed by the costs to the economy of not addressing the issue. Ending corporal punishment and violence against children can therefore not only reduce family violence but can be done in a manner which does not cost anything overall and can actually benefit the national economy. There are a multitude of examples of positive parenting programmes worldwide that Samoa can draw upon to provide parents with the skills necessary to raise their children in loving, non-violent environments. One example, which further supports the economic costs findings, comes from a systemic 10 Case Study 1. Case Study 2. 12 Case Study 3. 13 Case Study 10. 14 Case Study 6. 15 Case Study 7. 11