In November 2009 the Government published its strategy: Together we can end violence against women and girls. Emphasis was placed on its preventive strategy which, the Government claims, “addresses social attitudes and myths about violence, changing attitudes over the long-term and stopping violence happening in the first place.”
However, despite the submissions from Children Are Unbeatable! and support from the main domestic violence organisations, there is no mention of prevention of physical punishment. “Zero tolerance” continues to mean toleration of punitive violence towards children and while the harmful effect on children of witnessing violence between adults is now recognised in law, they are still not legally protected from assaults themselves.