The Case Against Corporal Punishment of Children: Converging Evidence from Social Science Research and International Human Rights Law and Implication for U.S. Public Policy

Although support for corporal punishment of children remains widespread in the United States, there is a substantial body of research from psychology and its allied disciplines indicating corporal punishment is ineffective as a disciplinary practice and can have unintended negative effects on children. At the same time, there is a growing momentum among other countries to enact legal bans on all forms of corporal punishment, bolstered by the fact that the practice has come to be regarded as a violation of international human rights law. The authors summarize these developments in research and law as well as the current legal status of corporal punishment of children in the United States. The authors conclude with 4 proposed program and policy strategies to reduce the use of corporal punishment in the United States by both parents and school personnel.