Corporal Punishment: The Global Picture

Abstract

Globally, corporal punishment is the most common form of violence against children. A large body of evidence demonstrates that it has no positive long-term outcomes and predicts a wide range of adverse effects in childhood and adulthood. The United Nations has declared that corporal punishment violates children’s fundamental rights to protection and has called on all countries to repeal laws that allow or justify it. As of June 2023, 65 countries have prohibited corporal punishment of children in all settings. These laws were implemented to make it clear that no level of violence against children is allowed and to uphold children’s rights to protection. This article aims to: (1) summarize the research and human rights rationales for the prohibition of corporal punishment; (2) provide a global update on its legal status; and (3) present research findings from Sweden, Germany, and New Zealand, three countries that have banned corporal punishment.