Component 2 (IR Report)

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Specimen Paper Answers – Component 2

Cambridge IGCSE™
Global Perspectives 0457
Cambridge O Level
Global Perspectives 2069
For examination from 2025
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023 v1

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Details of the assessment ............................................................................................................... 5
Individual Report 1 .......................................................................................................................... 7
Individual Report 2 ........................................................................................................................ 14

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Specimen Paper Answers

Introduction
These specimen answers have been produced by Cambridge ahead of the examination in 2025 to exemplify
standards for those teaching Cambridge IGCSE / O Level Global Perspectives. We have selected two
Individual Reports for Component 2.
The marks given are for guidance only and are accompanied by a brief commentary explaining the
strengths and weaknesses of the answers. Comments are given to indicate where and why marks were
awarded, and how additional marks could be obtained.
The mark schemes are available to download from the School Support Hub

2025 Specimen Paper Mark Scheme 02

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on the School Support Hub

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Details of the assessment


The syllabus for Cambridge IGCSE / O Level Global Perspectives is available at
www.cambridgeinternational.org

Component 2 – Individual Report

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Individual Report 1
Topic: Migration
Issue: Refugee Crisis
Research question: Should developed countries take in more refugees from around the world to
help solve the refugee crisis? (1968 words)

Specimen answer
The Declaration of Human Rights states that: Everyone has the right to leave any country,

including his own, and to return to his country. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy

in other countries asylum from persecution. 6

Worldwide, over 100 million people are ‘forcibly displaced’ according to UNHCR.1 They were

forced to leave their homes because of ‘persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations’.

Displacement is a huge global issue: 53.2 million are internally displaced, 27.1 million are

refugees and 4.6 million are asylum seekers.1 It causes problems both for the displaced people

and the countries who receive them. I am going to focus on the issue of refugees: where they

come from, where they go, and what can be done to solve the problem.

The majority of refugees come from just five countries: Ukraine 7.2 million,2 Syrian Arab

Republic 6.8 million, Venezuela 4.6 million, Afghanistan 2.7 million, South Sudan 2.4

million.1 When we look at what is happening in these countries, we can see why people might

be forced to leave in order to survive. More than anything else, refugees want to be safe and

secure. Many of them hope to return to their countries when things are safer. Research shows

that 7 in 10 of Syrians interviewed wanted to go back to Syria in the future.1

Global Perspective:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says “the equal and inalienable rights of all

members of the human family” should be protected. This means that refugees have the same

human rights as citizens. They should be allowed to move if needed and to have education,

employment, and housing. Some countries have an open-border policy welcoming refugees

and allowing humanitarian access and protection, allowing millions of displaced people to have

a chance of a future. Though most nations have agreed to this at the UN and in international

conferences, they do not always follow through, because when you open your borders, you

cannot control how many people come into your country.

The distribution of refugees is unfair. European countries, the United States, and the oil-

producing states do not take as many refugees as they could. They could take more, but they

claim they have a duty to protect and put their own people first. So, they limit the number

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of refugees they permit to enter the country. In 2020, the United States resettled under

12,000 refugees.14 Where there is conflict (e.g. Ukraine and Syria), many desperate refugees

cross borders illegally. This causes huge burdens to the country where they arrive. According

to the Refugee Convention, a country cannot return a refugee 'to the frontiers of territories

where his life or freedom would be threatened.’15 So, if refugees cannot be resettled in other

countries, the nearby country becomes overcrowded, causing a lot of social and economic

issues.

The UNHCR says there is a desperate need for large-scale solutions, as old refugee crises

continue, and new ones start. The Global Compact on Refugees states that ‘a sustainable

solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation.’3

Just 5 countries have taken 38% of refugees, Türkiye 3.8 million, Colombia 1.8 million,

Uganda 1.5 million, Pakistan 1.5 million, Germany 1.3 million1. In 2016, The UN New York

Declaration for Refugees and Migrants called for support for countries like Türkiye. It stated

that refugees must be resettled and allowed to relocate more easily, and the pressure of

refugees must be shared more fairly. So far, this seems impossible.5 72 per cent of refugees

live in countries neighbouring their countries of origin.8 Many of these are developing countries.

Low- and middle-income countries host 83 per cent of the world’s refugees. The Least

Developed Countries provide asylum to 27 per cent of the total.8 Just because they border

countries in crisis, countries like Türkiye and Lebanon have a huge burden. Millions of refugees

escaping from countries like Syria, South Sudan and Afghanistan arrive in overcrowded

neighbouring countries. This causes even more misery and suffering for everyone involved.4

Looking after a lot of additional people, especially people arriving with nothing, needs huge

amounts of money and resources. The huge numbers of refugees mean some countries prefer

to open refugee camps instead of helping refugees to settle in and integrate in society.

National perspective:

Rehman escaped from the Syrian war when he was a child. He left school and lived in a
refugee camp near Beirut. He says that even if he had finished his education, he would still be
a manual labourer. This is because, in Lebanon, the law limits what Syrians can do. They are
only allowed to work in three sectors, including construction. He struggles to cope emotionally
and financially. He works 10-hour-shifts, earning $5 a day, not enough to raise his family. He
feels worried about his children. Paul Kousafi is Lebanese. He is the head carpenter where
Rehman works. He says, ‘Syrians are essential to Lebanon’s economy’. He says he employs
Syrians because they cost him half what Lebanese would. ‘Lebanese can’t do what the Syrians
are doing and yet many ill-treat the refugees. I don’t like that,’ said Kousafi. When Lebanon’s
economy collapsed last year, Syrian refugees were the worst affected. “Economic pressure on

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the Lebanese is making their attitudes towards refugees even more hostile.”10 A small,
overcrowded country that is already struggling will not welcome large numbers of refugees.

Courses of Action:

Amnesty International Secretary General, Salil Shetty, said states should work together, and
share the responsibility, ‘If we don’t act people will die, from drowning, from preventable
diseases in wretched camps or detention centres, or from being forced back into the conflict
zones they are fleeing.’4 The main problem is that many of the richest countries accept the
fewest refugees and do the least to help. Shetty suggested that every wealthy country in the
world should take in as many refugees as they can manage, depending on their size, wealth,
and unemployment rate. Then ‘finding a home for more of the world’s refugees would be …
solvable ... All that is missing is cooperation and political will.’ 4

Dany Bahar explains that policymakers often expect refugees to return home quickly. Syrian
refugees started arriving in Türkiye in 2011. At first, they were not allowed to work. Maybe
policymakers thought Syrian workers would have a bad impact on the employment of Turks.
So millions of Syrians in Türkiye had to remain unemployed or work illegally. In 2015, when
Syrians were clearly not leaving, the Turkish government started giving them work permits.12

Bahar also gives the example of Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. At first, Colombia gave
Venezuelans a Special Stay Permit. This gave Venezuelans full access to work and health and
education services. Unfortunately, the Permit lasted only two years. Some companies found
two years too short to hire someone and some did not know about the Permit. So
Venezuelans struggled to get jobs. Colombia learnt from this and replaced the Permit with
10-year protection status to all Venezuelans.12 Both these examples show that it is important
to have the right policy in place early and that access to work is vital for successful
management of refugees.

Amnesty USA gives Canada as an example of how states can resettle large numbers of
refugees who are in refugee camps in other countries.13 ‘Canada has resettled nearly 30,000
Syrian refugees since November 2015… late August 2016, an additional 18,000 Syrians’
applications were being processed – mainly in Lebanon, Jordan and Türkiye.’13

Under Canadian law all people asking for resettlement are screened to make sure there are no
issues related to security, criminality, or health. Canada works with security partners to
complete this work as quickly as possible.11 People with criminal convictions are not eligible to
seek asylum. If they fail in their claim they are not allowed to try again. These rules help to
make Canadians feel more comfortable with the idea of refugees coming to Canada.

In addition, Canada helps resettled refugees to settle and integrate, providing income support
and services for up to a year, or until they can support themselves. Services provided by the
Resettlement Assistance Program include:

• welcoming them at the airport/other port of entry

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• help to find a place to live


• assessing their needs
• information and help getting to know Canada.
• language training in English and French
• help finding work
• support services such as childcare, translation, crisis counselling if needed.11
These well-organised and timely services help to ensure that refugees are looked after as well
as possible. They feel welcome, have their needs met, and can become part of the wider
society.

Evaluation of sources and evidence:

I researched using the United Nations websites, especially the UNHCR. The UNHCR has many
years of experience and access to research and data on the subject of migration and refugees.
This allowed me to get a clear view of the global perspective, using both older and recent
documents. The United Nations can be trusted to provide accurate information and statistics.

I also used the Amnesty International website, Amnesty International is a highly reputable
and trusted source for information about Human Rights around the world, as it is a well-
established global charity working on Human Rights issues and is concerned with making
things better for people who are suffering. Their interest in Human Rights is very relevant to
the topic and of great help in understanding the issue.

I got information about Syrian refugees from Al-Jazeera, which is a Middle East-based news
channel. They have good access to people on the ground, so they have a good ability to see
what is going on in the region.

I also read an article by Dany Bahar on Brookings, an American research group. Dany Bahar
is a senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings Institution
and an Associate Professor of Practice of International and Public Affairs – Brown University.
His research is focussed on migrants and refugees and their impacts on host countries, so he
has a vested interest to present accurate and reliable information. As a result, we can trust
his research findings.

I used information from 2015 to the present day to give the background and to be able to
relate that to up-to-date data. This is very important in the subject of refugees where the
situation might change over time.

Reflection:

When I started this research, I was not sure if it was possible for developed countries to take
more refugees. I often hear politicians saying we cannot afford to take them, or that it is
pointless because they will be going back home soon. So, for example, Syrians are better off
staying in Lebanon as it is nearer their home. After reading the different perspectives, seeing
how difficult it is for refugees to cope; and how neighbouring countries can struggle to absorb

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so many refugees when they do not have the facilities to support them; my opinion has
changed. I think richer countries can and should take more. I understand from the experiences
of Türkiye and Colombia that it is better if refugees can settle properly and work to improve
their lives. The example of Canada shows the way to go. We can organise things properly so
that refugees feel more welcome, and the population feels sure that they are not a security
risk. If refugees have any traumas or emotional problems, they can have counselling. If they
are settled with housing and financial help until they find work, they are more likely to do
well. As everyone has the right to asylum, richer countries should do their best to give them a
space. Each country should accept the number of refugees they can handle so that the burden
is spread more fairly and evenly. More developed countries should accept more refugees and
take pressure off poorer countries who cannot even support their own populations properly.

Reference list:

1. No author: https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends/ (Accessed 20th October 2022)


2. No author: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/ukraine-emergency.html (Accessed 20th October
2022)
3. No author: https://www.unhcr.org/the-global-compact-on-refugees.html (Accessed 20th
October 2022)
4. Sahil Shetty https://www.amnestyusa.org/reports/tackling-the-global-refugee-crisis-
from-shirking-to-sharing-responsibility/ (Accessed 20th October 2022)
5. No author: https://www.ohchr.org/en/migration/new-york-declaration-refugees-and-
migrants (Accessed 22nd October 2022)
6. No author: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/07/syria-un-un-general-
assembly-must-take-responsibility-for-ensuring-aid-continues-to-reach-civilians-in-
need/ (Accessed 21st October 2022)
7. https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/english
(Accessed 20th October 2022)
8. https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/
9. (Accessed 25th October 2022)
10. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/19/syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-ten-years-
after-the-uprising
11. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/canada-
role.html (Accessed 24th October 2022)
12. Dany Bahar https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2022/07/18/what-can-
policymakers-in-countries-receiving-ukrainian-refugees-learn-from-other-countries-
experiences/ (Accessed 23rd October 2022)
13. https://www.amnestyusa.org/reports/tackling-the-global-refugee-crisis-from-shirking-
to-sharing-responsibility/ (Accessed 23rd October 2022)

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14. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states-2021
(Accessed 26th October 2022)
15. https://www.unrefugees.org/news/the-1951-refugee-convention-70-years-of-lifesaving-
protection/ (Accessed 26th October 2022)

AO1 Research, analysis and evaluation


Table A Analyses global issue: Clearly establishes the global nature of the issue, supports with a
range of information and some explanation.
Mark awarded = 5 out of 5
Table B Analyses causes and consequences of a global issue: Analyses the issue describing causes
and consequences, explaining a cause and some consequences in simple terms – however no real
depth of explanation.
Mark awarded = 3 out of 5
Table C Analyses different perspectives on a global issue: Both a global and a national perspective
are presented, both are supported; however, the national perspective is only thinly explained and
supported with some relevant information. Could be considered to be a local perspective.
Mark awarded = 9 out of 10
Table D Analyses and evaluates possible courses of action: Presents more than two approaches,
however, only provides detail of implementation on one. Selects a preferred option with reference to
their analysis of the issue. (Selection is made in the conclusion as part of the candidate’s reflection.)
Mark awarded = 7 out of 10
Table E Evaluation of evidence and sources: Makes five different points of evaluation of evidence
and sources; however, some points are undeveloped or partially developed, particularly those
concerned with data, e.g. why can UNHCR and United Nations be trusted to provide accurate
information and what does the data tell us? Points about Amnesty International and Dany Bahar are
developed with some explanation.
Mark awarded = 7 out of 10
AO2 Reflection
Table F Reflection: Answers the question reflecting on how their perspective has been impacted by
others’ perspectives.
Mark awarded = 4 out of 5
AO3 Communication and collaboration
Table G Structure and clarity: The report is structured, generally clear and mostly easy to follow.
Some helpful headings, but some repetition of ideas.
Mark awarded = 7 out of 10
Table H References: Fully referenced, and one method used throughout.
Mark awarded = 5 out of 5
Total mark awarded = 47 out of 60

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Examiner comment
This essay is structured and generally easy to follow. The response established the global nature of their
chosen issue, by showing that this is something that concerns governments around the world and global
organisations.
The global perspective was well developed and clear. The national perspective less so.
Different courses of action were considered and then one was selected. The response evaluated several
sources, with variable levels of detail.
The response answered the question, considering others’ perspectives.
The referencing was complete and consistent.

General guidance for candidates


Before candidates start writing, they should plan out their essay so that it is clearly structured and easy to
follow. This will help to remember all the necessary elements.
• When the global issue has been introduced and shown that it is of global importance or interest,
candidates should also analyse the causes and consequences of the issue. Candidates should give
details, provide examples or illustration, and explain all the points they have made. (If they have chosen
an issue that causes conflict or disagreement, they should explain why different people feel the way they
do - the cause of their attitude or opinion.)

• Give details of the courses of action presented. Candidates should select two or more possible courses
of action so that they can choose one. (These can be courses of action already being carried out
somewhere.) Details should be included of how they would be (or have been) carried out and what their
impact would be (was) and how practicable they are. When candidates select their preferred course of
action, they should explain clearly why they think it is best. (Candidates may decide to combine different
aspects of more than one course of action. In this case, again, they should explain their choices.)

• Explain the evaluation of sources and information. Why are the sources useful and why can you trust
them/not trust them? How do they help to support the argument or different perspectives?

• Candidates should reflect on their findings and how their own thinking has been affected by what they
have learnt, by the research they have done and by others’ perspectives.

• Candidates should avoid lengthy quotes to support their argument. They should use paraphrasing and
explain in their own words. Using lengthy quotes may waste words that could be used to explain or
develop the points they have made.
• Candidates may use any method of referencing for this component but must clearly indicate in the body
of your essay where they have used others’ material and ideas. Candidates must also include a full
reference for each source they have used.

For further information about common mistakes made by candidates, please refer to the examiner reports
which are published after the first exam series in 2025 on the School Support Hub

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Individual Report 2
Topic: Health and Wellbeing
Issue: Corporal punishment in the home
Research question: Should parents be banned from using corporal punishment? (1991 words)

Specimen answer
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child1 Article 19 says governments must

protect children from violence, abuse and being neglected by anyone who looks after them.

Article 3 says when adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will

affect children. All adults should do what is best for children.1

Corporal punishment is a form of violence. It is punishment that causes physical pain.2

Corporal punishment happens at home, school, and in judicial systems.2 Most European

countries have banned all three types. Sweden was the first country to ban corporal

punishment in 1966. By 2019, 58 Countries banned corporal punishment, so that shows it is

an issue in all those countries and probably also in countries where it has not been banned.2

Human Rights Watch estimated that about 90% of countries had made corporal punishment

for children illegal. My research focus is corporal punishment of children at home. I want to

find out why parents use this punishment, how it affects children and what we should do to

solve this issue.

There are a lot of different ideas about parenting around the world. Different cultures have

different family traditions and new research is telling us new information about parenting.

Some people believe there are four main types of parenting:

Authoritarian: parents believe their children should do as they are told and obey all rules

without any discussion.

Authoritative: parents have clear rules, but their children's thoughts and feelings are

considered.

Permissive parents are easy-going. They let their children do what they want and only get

involved if something goes badly wrong.

Uninvolved parents usually do not know what is happening or what their children are doing.

They don’t usually set any rules. https://www.verywellfamily.com/types-of-parenting-styles-

1095045

Authoritarian parents are the most likely to give punishments to their children and that can

include violence - corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is common globally. Around

60% of children aged 2–14 years are regularly punished physically by caregivers. In some

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countries, most students say they are physically punished by school staff. The risk is about the

same for boys and girls, rich and poor.4

Causes:

Research has shown different reasons why parents use corporal punishment. Parents were

interviewed to find out if they used corporal punishment and why they did this. 6,7

Some adults were disciplined or punished by smacking when they were children. So, this feels

normal to them. If they are successful adults now, it seems like the right thing to do. They

think they are helping their children to grow up as good citizens and to keep out of trouble. 6

Some cultures still believe it is the best way to discipline their children: quicker, easier and

works better than trying to explain everything. Parents should be in complete control and

smacking and punishment helps them do that. They think children will understand a smack

better than a long discussion about why something is wrong. 6,7

Other parents do know smacking is not good. They have read all the guidance about

parenting. They understand that it is not kind and that it has bad effects on their children.

But still sometimes they get frustrated and ‘lose it’ and hit their children before they stop

and think. They might feel guilty about it, but they still do it sometimes.7

Some parents are just damaged, they have anger-management issues. They cannot control

themselves. They get angry easily and when they are angry, they are violent. They might be

generally aggressive, using violence to solve any issues they have, and this includes domestic

violence.6

Other parents just do not know that physical punishment is damaging for children. They

might not hit their children if they understood, or if they knew a better way.8

Consequences:

There has been a lot of research on the effects of corporal punishment on children.3,4

Corporal punishment affects children’s development, their wellbeing and mental health.

Children who are punished physically feel pain, they are sad, afraid, angry, and ashamed.

Sometimes they blame themselves and feel guilty too.4 Fear of their parents makes them

stressed and causes changes in the way their body and brain work.

Corporal punishment has short-term and long-term consequences. Direct physical

consequences include damage, disability and even death. Long-term mental health

consequences include anxiety disorders, depression, addiction, self-harm and even suicide.

When children who are physically punished grow up, they may become unstable and

aggressive, even when they are adults. They often struggle with learning and with managing

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their own feelings. This can lead to problems at school and lack of success in education and at

work. They may become aggressive, growing up to be aggressive adults.4

Their lack of education, caused by their struggles at school may make it difficult for them to

get a good job and they may be attracted to criminal behaviour. Losing control of feelings

may cause antisocial behaviour and violence. Because they had an unhealthy relationship with

their parents, they may struggle to build healthy relationships in future, and this may impact

their family life as adults. 4

All these problems are multiplied when they are punished more often. Research has shown

that aggression and low achievement in reading and mathematics are worse when

punishment is more frequent.4

Global Perspective

UNICEF says that governments should make sure children are protected and looked after by

their parents, or by other people when this is needed. Also, governments should make sure

that people and places responsible for looking after children are doing a good job.1

Courses of Action:

All governments should ban corporal punishment of children. They should also develop policies

to reduce or stop the problem. They can introduce the Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH)

programme. This programme is backed by WHO and UNICEF.5

Over the past 4 years, the programme has spread to more than 20 countries due to

increasing demand. Dr Catherine Ward is the founder of PLH and is a child psychology expert.

She says that PLH is focussed on solving problems by showing parents they can raise their

children differently.5

“We are seeing parents using harsh parenting often because they don’t know alternatives,”

says Dr Ward. “They want to do the right thing. But parents who use harsh discipline can

affect children’s mental health badly, often leading to depression and problems around the

child’s conduct, including risky behaviour ...”5

Lucie Cluver professor of child and family social work says “If you make such services possible,

people will attend. Parents everywhere want to do the best for their children and are very

willing to receive support on issues like preventing corporal punishment and harsh discipline.

This is very positive.”5

WHO’s Prevention of Violence Coordinator, Dr Butchart, says PLH is as low-cost as possible.

The programme concentrates on the link between the treatment of children and their

development. ‘...so that children both survive and thrive’.5 It could be very helpful for countries

that want to make a difference to get involved with the PLH programme.

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How can parents manage their children without using violence?

These days there are different ideas about how parents should raise their children. These are

called parenting styles. https://www.verywellfamily.com/types-of-parenting-styles-1095045

In Japan, most parents discuss quietly with children – they give them time to calm down if

they are misbehaving. They discuss carefully and in private why their behaviour is not good.

Children are expected to respect others and to have empathy for them. They learn this from

their parents and teachers because when they behave badly, their parents will wait for a

private moment to explain the effect of their behaviour instead of telling them off in front of

other people and making them feel ashamed. Children are taught responsibility from a young

age; they are expected to tidy and clean up and to organise themselves. Because their parents

teach them these habits from a very young age, they learn how to control themselves and

have responsibility easily. https://japantruly.com/how-do-japanese-discipline-children/

If children are raised in this way, it seems normal to them to raise their own children in the

same way. For parents who were not raised that way themselves, it might be more difficult.

They might need to join a parenting class or get advice about how to start making changes in

the way they cope with their children.

What did Sweden do to ban corporal punishment so early?

First, in 1966, Sweden banned corporal punishment in schools. In 1976, they voted to ban it

in the home. Then they started a publicity campaign. They sent a brochure called “Can You

Bring Up Children Successfully without Smacking and Spanking?” to all households with

children. The brochure was translated into many languages. Parents were given advice and

support about raising children without using violence. Information was printed on milk

cartons to start families discussing the issue. Save the Children Sweden and BRIS held public

debates and displayed posters on the issue. During the 1980s the number of children who

were smacked fell to about 33%.14

Since the 1980s, more people report suspected cases of domestic violence to the authorities.

This is because people do not excuse this behaviour these days, they do not think it is the

parent’s private business.14 Social services check out any reports of violence and see if the

family needs support and if the child needs to be protected. Then they make sure families get

any help they need. Recent studies show that even vulnerable parents who were punished as

children are able to raise their own children without violence if they have the right support

and advice.14

If we want to stop corporal punishment, we have to teach parenting skills. Then parents can

raise their children without violence. The example of Sweden shows that this can be done if it

is planned carefully, and the government and social services follow through.

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Evaluation:

I got evidence from UNICEF to show that many countries have banned corporal punishment

of children. UNICEF is a reliable source of information about the rights of children because

they are careful to check their figures. This means the statistics are accurate and we can see

that this is a global issue, and most countries are worried about it.

I used sources from the USA, India, Japan, and China, all agreeing with each other that

parents should not hit children and should use other ways of teaching them right from wrong.

The article from Harvard about the effects of spanking on the brain is reliable.

WHO is the World Health Organization, they are a good source of information about corporal

punishment.

Reflection:

I did not know that spanking was so bad for children before I did this research. I already

knew it upset them, because I remember one of my friends in primary school said he got

smacked when he was naughty. It made him very sad. I did not understand all the effects

though and I did not know that there were so many different reasons why people might hit

their children.

I think corporal punishment should be banned everywhere. Some of my research showed me

that other countries are trying to ban it 9 and I hope they will be successful. At the same

time, it looks as if just banning it is not really enough. If parents do not know how bad it is

and all the effects of it, they might continue doing it. So, we do need to have parenting

classes or publicity about this issue to help parents understand how to raise their children

without beating them or punishing them. If countries follow the Swedish plan that would be

the best. They can get help from UNICEF, but they need to have a full plan of giving guidance

and help to parents who are struggling. They can use simple ways to get their message across

and they need to have social services in place to support parents, they might need to include

counselling and mental health support for parents who are vulnerable themselves.

1. https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version
2. https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/
3. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/21/04/effect-spanking-brain
4. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/corporal-punishment-and-health
5. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/preventing-violence-against-
children-promotes-better-health
6. https://www.verywellfamily.com/why-parents-spank-reasons-for-corporal-punishment-
620129
7. https://www.indiaparenting.com/why-do-parents-hit-their-kids.html

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Specimen Paper Answers

8. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/survey-shows-77-parents-spank-
children-at-home/story-zNNnm3jsFKshnpcCKPS0YO.html
9. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3119258/hitting-
or-scolding-your-child-will-soon-be
10. https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/violence-prevention/inspire-
technical-package
11. https://www.care.com/c/parenting-styles-around-the-world/
12. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/inspire-seven-strategies-for-ending-violence-
against-children
13. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/never-violence-35-years-swedens-
abolition-corporal-punishment/

AO1 Research, analysis and evaluation


Table A Analyses global issue: Establishes the global nature of the issue and supports with
explanation.
Mark awarded = 5 out of 5
Table B Analyses causes and consequences of a global issue: Analyses, explains causes and
consequences of corporal punishment in depth.
Mark awarded = 5 out of 5
Table C Analyses different perspectives on a global issue: (BOD) Mainly own perspective supported.
Others are implied, section labelled ‘Global Perspective’ is not focussed on corporal punishment of
children.
Mark awarded = 5 out of 10
Table D Analyses and evaluates possible courses of action: Well developed courses of action,
selects one and justifies (in conclusion).
Mark awarded = 10 out of 10
Table E Evaluation of evidence and sources: One point is developed, the others are basic
Mark awarded = 5 out of 10

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Specimen Paper Answers

AO2 Reflection
Table F Reflection: Answers the question, reflects on change of perspective – but not on others’
perspectives – the anecdote about the friend pre-dates the research so counts as what the
candidate already thought and why.
Mark awarded = 4 out of 5
AO3 Communication and collaboration
Table G Structure and clarity: Generally easy to follow; the structure is a bit confused at first.
Mark awarded = 6 out of 10
Table H References: Some missing citation, occasional variation in method. No access dates at all.
Mark awarded = 3 out of 5
Total mark awarded = 43 out of 60

Examiner comment
The essay shows good evidence of research on a global issue. The global nature of the issue was clearly set
out and developed. Causes and consequences of the issue were explained – in this case the reasons that
parents use corporal punishment and the lasting impacts of corporal punishment on children.
However, though there was clear evidence to show that this is a global issue, there was no explicit global or
national perspective. Perspectives did not seem to have been researched. Only the writer’s own perspective
was presented and explained.
Courses of action were well developed, explicit and detailed and the preferred course of action was selected
and their choice justified in the conclusion.
Evaluation was limited, most of the points made were either descriptive or of limited detail.
The response answered the question in some detail, reflecting on their own change of perspective, but
without reflecting on others’ perspectives.
More than one method of citation/referencing was used, though the citation seemed complete. No dates of
access were provided.

General guidance for candidates


• In general, candidates should use paraphrasing and explain in their own words. Using lengthy quotes
may waste words that could be used to explain or develop the points that are made. The best approach
is for candidates to make notes of interesting or useful opinions, facts, ideas, or information, with the
sources, and save them under the relevant heading for when they start to write their essay.

• Candidates should attempt to give equal space to the different areas of their essay, so that they give
enough detail to all and avoid using too much space for some criteria, leaving too little space for others.
• Where space is limited, it may help to remove material that is not directly relevant, such as the
descriptions of authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parents. In this essay, authoritarian parenting is
relevant. Its relevance is explained. However, we do not find the others mentioned again. The Japanese
example could be labelled as authoritative to make that relevant, otherwise it is not necessary.
• Perspectives should be explicitly presented, with supporting evidence. In this essay, we can infer some
perspectives, but they are not presented by the candidate and the Global Perspective section is not
directly relevant to the question, or the issue and does not read as an opinion on corporal punishment.

For further information about common mistakes made by candidates, please refer to the examiner reports
which are published after the first exam series in 2025 on the School Support Hub

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