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This article presents a position paper from the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) on banning corporal punishment of children. The paper defines corporal punishment and discusses worldwide initiatives for banning the practice. The consequences of physical punishment are discussed along with suggested alternatives. Strategies for parents, schools and communities are offered. A list is included of organizations committed to ending corporal punishment.

The paper is based on a study conducted in a Kendriya Vidyalaya in order to understand the perception of counselling amongst school teachers. The study also aimed to understand their receptivity to counselling and their attitude towards corporal punishment. The teachers were given questionnaires and the responses were analysed. The paper also elucidates a couple of case studies which were handled by the counsellor to further strengthen the fact that counselling is essential in schools to help students. The paper concludes with recommendations that may be applicable to all schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-four countries have passed legislative bans on corporal punishment since the passage of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This systematic review briefly reviews the arguments for corporal punishment bans and the contents and context of the current legal bans. All such bans have occurred in representative governments. Following this background, the paper will examine the impacts of the laws with regard to attitudes regarding corporal punishment and parental discipline behaviours. It is clear from the findings of this systematic review that legal bans on corporal punishment are closely associated with decreases in support of and use of corporal punishment as a child discipline technique. However, it is less clear if such legislative bans always generally precede a decline in popular support for corporal punishment or result from such a decline in popular support. The known impact of such bans on child physical abuse will then be reviewed. The paper concludes with a policy analysis framework for considering new legislation to ban corporal punishment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risinghill School was one of a new type of secondary school, called a 'comprehensive', which opened in Islington, north London, in 1960, under the headship of Michael Duane. He had a cause: a clear view as to the style of school that he wished to create: it was one that was progressive, democratic and inclusive: for him, the true essence of a comprehensive school. His five-year tenure as head of the school was fraught with problems, however. This paper explores the idea of Duane as a rebel against the political and educational establishment and the extent to which there was very limited support for his cause from it. Despite the school having had successes, it was closed after just five years and Duane was never successful afterwards in acquiring another headteacher post. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the existence of negative spillover effects from children exposed to corporal punishment in the home (CPH). We find that interactions with peers suffering from CPH depress achievement in both math and language among Vietnamese fifth graders. Specifically, a one standard deviation increase in the Peers' Violence Index is associated with a reduction in the math and the language test scores by 0.11 and 0.14 standard deviations, respectively. These adverse impacts could potentially be attributed to the unfavorable changes in student academic aspirations, student actual learning efforts, and the inter-student relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the now-discarded practice of corporal punishment at Morris Isaacson High School, an important public school in Soweto. Corporal punishment, widely accepted by both students and parents, was central to the disciplinary regime of the school during the 1960s and 1970s. 'Morris' was one of the very few high schools in Soweto to remain open and functional during the turbulent 1980s; some argue that it was the rigid discipline that allowed the school to survive in a context of generational upheaval. During the late 1980s and early 1990s pressure mounted on the educational authorities to abolish corporal punishment until it was eventually outlawed under the new constitution in 1996. Though many saw this an important victory for human dignity, there remains a very popular nostalgic narrative that blames the abolition of corporal punishment for the collapse of school discipline in the democratic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initially, this paper was delivered as a keynote address at the 17thispcan International Congress held in Hong Kong in 2008. It addresses the question: Can we conquer child abuse if we don't first outlaw physical punishment of children? It is argued that children's low status in society and children's less than optimal development are inextricably linked to corporal punishment in childhood, as is the physical abuse of children that all too frequently begins as disciplinary violence, often euphemistically described as"smacking", but tragically escalates, resulting in injuries and even death. Attention is drawn to increasing evidence from research around the world that reveals the futility and avoidable negative consequences of physical chastisement, and the paper ends on an optimistic note foreseeing the end of the corporal punishment of children in Asia and elsewhere - a world in which children's rights are respected and children's childhoods are freed from the pain and fear of disciplinary violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporal punishment in the early years is associated with antisocial behaviour and violence, but little is known about its social and cultural context in low-income countries. This paper analyses how 12 deprived women in Kampala, Uganda, perceived corporal punishment, drawing on repeated semi-structured interviews. All thought it was sometimes necessary, for three main reasons. First, it was an important strategy to ensure good behaviour and maintain their and their child's, respectability, crucial to self-respect given severe poverty. Second, it was a means of establishing household routines and managing scarce resources. Third, it was a way to protect children from health risks. However, all mothers thought corporal punishment could be excessive, and most said it can be counter-productive, making children 'stubborn'. There appeared to be considerable variation in their degree of harsh parenting and emotional support. These findings could inform culturally appropriate interventions to reduce violence against children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to present something of a cultural historical context in order to be able to talk about corporal punishment. Or, even more generally, it presents the cultural historical background of our feelings and perceptions of child abuse in general. First the infantilization process is discussed, that is the increasing duration of childhood over the centuries. Then, by using the ideas of Norbert Elias on the civilizing process, an explanation is given of why this process took place, and, finally, our modern inacceptance of child abuse is explained from this particular perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses the arguments pro et contra banning of corporal punishment of children, in light of existing comparative legal solutions, experience from foreign countries and results of scientific research on the effects of this method of child discipline. According to the current state of knowledge, the fact that corporal punishment of children does not produce long-lasting positive changes in behavior, but likely produces several detrimental consequences; implies that this child discipline method should be abandoned and substituted by alternative ones. The experience of countries where the corporal punishment of chidren has been outlawed for decades tells us this may be achieved primarily through awareness raising activities and measures aimed at empowering parents and caregivers. A tendency to equate corporal punishment with psysical abuse may turn out to be ineffective in supression of inadequate child discipline practices if the focus of societal reaction is predominantely put on punishment and stigmatization of parents and caregivers instead on their proper training and empowering, and activities aimed at raising public awereness on the rights of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the global wind of change in public attitudes towards the physical punishment of children, partly influenced by the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, the practice remains prevalent in diverse societies. This implies that current efforts are limited as strategies to initiate behaviour change, especially in societies where the practice is not only condoned, but also where governments lack the capacity, largely as a result of resource scarcity, to enforce legislation. Therefore, this article proposes an alternative approach which foregrounds using the starting point of communities as a more effective strategy to protect children's rights in such socio-economic contexts. Focusing predominately on sub-Saharan Africa, this paper outlines the rationale for the continuing prevalence of the physical punishment of children before exploring the utility of approaches that take community perspectives as their point of departure for action and intervention and analysing the importance of dialogue to this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to analyse the cultural values of Spanish liberalism, this paper describes the prohibition of corporal punishment in secondary education. The evolution of education laws and codes during the nineteenth century reveals great hope and confidence in building up an academic authority based exclusively on the power of reason and capable of ruling an ordered society. However, the study of documents found in the Instituto de Valencia historical archives highlights the difficulty of maintaining discipline as well as managing the political motivations of rebellious students, who demanded more autonomy from the academic authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ending the physical punishment of children remains an enormous challenge. In societies which tolerate even limited physical punishment as discipline or control, it is a response to children that adults may unthinkingly adopt simply because they can. This paper primarily focuses on the language, traditions and law prevailing in English-speaking, common law countries - Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom - that have ratified the CRC but have not yet fully outlawed physical punishment. New Zealand, the first English-speaking country to ban physical punishment, and the United States which has neither ratified the CRC nor fully outlawed physical punishment, are also discussed. Separately, language, traditional attitudes and practices, and laws impacting children's lives are considered, with a view to envisioning a status quo where adults and children are accorded equal respect as human beings and any degree of physical violence towards children is regarded as an aberration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kenyan government banned corporal punishment in Kenyan schools in 2001 and enacted the Children's Act (Government of Kenya, 2001) which entitles children to protection from all forms of abuse and violence. Kenya is also a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1990) which states that discipline involving violence is unacceptable. In spite of this, the use of corporal punishment continues in Kenyan schools. This study therefore sought to identify the reasons behind the use of corporal punishment by Kenyan teachers and teachers' awareness of existing laws on the use of violence on children. Data collected through focus group discussions showed that teachers were aware of existing laws prohibiting the use of corporal punishment in schools. Their reasons for using corporal punishment included the belief that it was the most effective way to discipline children and that parents had authorised its use. This study has shown that, although the Kenyan government has introduced laws to protect children, teachers will readily break them if they believe it is for the children's good. This paper therefore recommends the involvement of the Kenyan government in training teachers on non-violent ways of disciplining children. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades we have become increasingly sensitised to the importance of considering the cultural and ecological contexts of child abuse. This paper illustrates the necessity for but also the complexity of doing so in practice, through reflection on some of the dilemmas faced by social work professionals encountering physical punishment and restraint of children among the Negev Bedouin. We describe several cases and reflect on two central challenges. First, we point to a significant grey area remaining between consensually unacceptable and consensually acceptable practices, and show how the evaluation of worrying incidents of this kind requires careful reading of the complex interplay of a variety of cultural and contextual factors which are sometimes not easily resolved. Second, we highlight the need for cultural competence not just in understanding but in intervening since cultural differences continue to be important—sometimes critically so—in the ways in which social work interventions are understood by and affect clients and communities. We offer a schema for intervention, distilled from decades of experience working in the Bedouin setting, which describes the kind of decision-making processes a social worker might follow in this context. This is intended to guide practitioners, but also to be used more interactively and further evolved in discussion with parents and members of the Bedouin community on the one hand, and those shaping state child care policies and procedures on the other. Thus, our schema is a kind of boundary object—a shared instrument for assessment and dialogue in which both Bedouin and professional cultures can negotiate and renegotiate their caring for children at the interface between their different but intersecting worlds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to several articles is presented. Topics include the physical punishment of children, child abuse laws, and corporal punishment in Kenya.

Background. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a global perspective on corporal punishment by examining differences between mothers’ and fathers’ use of corporal punishment with daughters and sons in nine countries. Methods. Interviews were conducted with 1398 mothers, 1146 fathers, and 1417 children (age range = 7 to 10 years) in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Results. Across the entire sample, 54% of girls and 58% of boys had experienced mild corporal punishment, and 13% of girls and 14% of boys had experienced severe corporal punishment by their parents or someone in their household in the last month. Seventeen percent of parents believed that the use of corporal punishment was necessary to rear the target child. Overall, boys were more frequently punished corporally than were girls, and mothers used corporal punishment more frequently than did fathers. There were significant differences across countries, with reports of corporal punishment use lowest in Sweden and highest in Kenya. Conclusion. This work establishes that the use of corporal punishment is widespread, and efforts to prevent corporal punishment from escalating into physical abuse should be commensurately widespread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper presents a study on the self-reported usage and attitudes toward corporal punishment (CP) by a four generation sample of Jewish families in Jerusalem. The study included 655 participants: 200 adolescents, 208 young mothers, 199 old mothers, and 48 grandmothers, and tested for inter-generational and familial role differences. Results have shown that participants’ attitudes toward CP correlates significantly with age group; however, it does not correlate with family role. Implications of the results for practitioners who seek to reduce usage of CP are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years we have seen significant changes in the attitudes of teachers and parents towards their relationships with each other, as well as changes in their perceptions for certain practices, and the degree of involvement and participation of parents in schooling. In this paper, we investigate, in depth, the relationships of pre‐primary school teachers with parents in two pre‐primary schools in Cyprus. Using qualitative data, we try to understand the relationships of schools with families, attempting to draw conclusions that might be helpful for schools to develop better practices for including parents in their processes. To conclude we present suggestions for improving the current practices of teachers, regarding their relationships with parents, to encourage schools to include parents in their activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a sad fact that physical violence and, as a subtype, the corporal punishment of children and juveniles, practised by parents and other guardians, schools and clergy in both Europe and North America, have been part of our 'Western', i.e. Christian, cultural heritage, not to mention other world-cultures. I myself am old enough to remember the various common practices of physical violence used on children in the 1950s. At school in Germany, caning and face-slapping were officially tolerated and quite common, applied as a kind of educational instrument, sometimes even to 17-year-olds. In state-run schools of the United Kingdom, corporal punishment was politically banned only in 1986. Private schools followed suit from 1998 (England and Wales) to 2003 (Northern Ireland) (Country report for UK, 2015). In the United States, corporal punishment is still lawful in 19 states, in both public and private schools (Country report for USA, 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discipline of children is a major topic of concern in our society. This paper places discipline in a historical perspective by briefly tracing disciplinary practices from the 1600s to the present day in the United States. Four primary trends are then delineated. These include the following: movement from strict discipline to lax discipline to mixed messages concerning discipline; determinants of discipline changing from Puritan religious beliefs to ‘experts’ in fields such as psychology; the increasing role of legislative efforts focusing on children's rights; and the changing role of fathers in child rearing in general and discipline in particular. Viewed against such a historical account, implications for mental health professionals in shaping disciplinary practices are offered. These include generating data to provide needed answers and assuming an active role in setting policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong and ever-growing evidence base demonstrating that physical punishment places children at risk for a range of negative outcomes, coupled with global recognition of children’s inherent rights to protection and dignity, has led to the emergence of programs specifically designed to prevent physical punishment by parents. This paper describes promising programs and strategies designed for each of three levels of intervention − indicated, selective, and universal − and summarizes the existing evidence base of each. Areas for further program development and evaluation are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the 19th century, in the context of setting up the new republican order, the humanization of physical punishments was promoted. As part of a cultural climate affected by the individualization of the body, modern educational trends questioned the excessive punishment of children. This paper discusses the reviews of such disciplinary practices in Buenos Aires elementary schools and its countryside, with the aim of reflecting on how this "civilized awareness" process struggled for a punishment economy to design--at the end of the century--a new ethical code of honor and virtue based on self-discipline as the kind of behavior that should be adopted by future citizens of the republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have indicated an association between parental corporal punishment and aggressive adolescent behavior. However, there is a significant gap in the knowledge of the underlying processes responsible for this association. This study aimed to examine the potential mediators that connect parental corporal punishment with aggressive behavior and moderators that exacerbate or attenuate this direct/indirect association. A sample of 3180 Chinese students (52.52% males, mean age = 14.93 years) participated in this study and completed anonymous questionnaires on parental corporal punishment, aggressive behavior, peer victimization, and parent-adolescent relationship. We found that parental corporal punishment was positively associated with aggressive adolescent behavior. Mediation analyses revealed that peer victimization significantly mediated the association between parental corporal punishment and aggressive adolescent behavior. Further, the parent-adolescent relationship significantly moderated the mediating path of "parent corporal punishment → peer victimization → aggressive behavior." Specifically, this mediating effect was notably stronger for adolescents with high-quality parent-adolescent relationships than adolescents with low-quality parent-adolescent relationships. The negative impact of parental corporal punishment on aggressive behavior was much more significant than that of the parent-adolescent relationship. Peer victimization and parent-adolescent relationships were the underlying mechanisms (mediator/moderator) of the relationship between parental corporal punishment and adolescent aggressive behavior. These findings provide a valuable reference for developing targeted interventions to prevent aggressive adolescent behavior in the Chinese context. Highlights: Parental corporal punishment was positively related to peer victimization and aggressive behavior. Peer victimization significantly mediated the relationship between parental corporal punishment and aggressive adolescent behavior. The parent-adolescent relationship significantly moderated the association between parental corporal punishment and peer victimization and the association between peer victimization and aggressive adolescent behavior. These associations were robust for adolescents with a positive parent-adolescent relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Turkey's current economic growth, modernization and increased academic performance, 50% to 75% of children in the country are reported to be subjected to different forms of physical punishment in schools. Moreover, the vast majority of teachers in Turkey believe in the need for corporal punishment as an integral part in the development of the child. And despite the fact that corporal punishment is unlawful in Turkey, it is regularly carried out in every grade level in virtually all regions of the country. By reviewing the related literature, the present study attempts to explore what approaches teachers generally adopt in dealing with student misconduct in Turkey. Implications are included for pre-service and in-service teacher development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporal Punishment is defined as inflicting pain on an individual who does wrong. This type of punishment is very controversial in today's society versus our parent's society who believed that it takes a village to raise a child. Corporal punishment is a way to quickly deal with students who misbehave. This paper will prove that there are pros and cons concerning corporal punishment such as teachers care, it changes students behavior, as well as it shows the lack of discipline in the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the emotional and behavioral problems of 45 children (31 boys and 14 girls) with bronchial asthma, (BA), aged two to five years. The mothers of the children filled in the CBCL/1½-5 (Child Behavior Checklist), Block Parental Practices questionnaire, the Conflicts and Problem-solving Scales (CPS) and the demographic questionnaire. The results have shown that children with BA have more internal problems as compared with healthy children as well as with general population. Mothers of children with BA practice more of psychological control than do mothers of healthy children. The results suggest that the practice of psychological control is related to greater behavioral problems. The results also show that the use of physical punishment is related to external problems of BA children. In the BA group, the severity of parental conflicts is related to behavioral problems, and the use of physical aggression during the conflicts is related to the use of corporal punishment. The level of education of mothers proved to be an important factor in predicting the psychological adjustment of children with BA. Mothers with a lower education report more internal and external problems of children with BA. It appears also that the a lower education level of mothers is related to the more frequent use of corporal punishment. The regression analysis has proven the level of maternal education to be predictive of 40 % of internal problems, and together with physical aggression during parental conflicts it explains 56 % of data. Physical aggression during parental conflicts seems to be the only predictive factor and explains 33 % of data on external problems. Our results disclose the importance of psychosocial factors -- the type and level of parental conflicts as the well as prevalence of psychological control --. in the adjustment of children with BA. These factors can be sources of BA-inducing stress. Our results have shown the level of mother's education to be one of the strongest predictors of internal problems of a child with BA. An important direction of future research could be elucidation of this factor--presumably looking for hindrances in the mother--child relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While ample research describes the negative effects of corporal punishment (CP) on children, parental decisions about discipline strategies are complex. Some parents may resort to CP because they do not know what else to do. The current mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study examined whether participation in the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P – Level 4) (n = 68) was associated with lower levels of self-reported parental stress, less parental perception of child misbehavior, and improved attitudes and expectations toward CP compared to a comparison group of caregivers (n = 23). After six weekly group/individual sessions, Triple P participants reported significantly lower rates of parental stress and child maladjustment, and less favorable attitudes toward CP compared to baseline. Stress and favorability toward CP declined significantly more among Triple P participants than among comparison participants. There was a high level of attrition in the comparison group. At the end of the program, seven focus groups were conducted with Triple P participants (n = 47). Analyses revealed themes about managed vs. unmanaged stress, conflicting views of spanking, perceived beneficial impact of Triple P on their parenting strategies, improved relationships with their children, and use of alternative strategies before spanking. This study adds to the literature on community parenting interventions by illuminating individual caregiver experiences in Triple P Level 4 and associated reduction in favorable attitudes toward CP. Highlights: Mixed-methods study on Positive Parenting Program (Triple P). Triple P participants have less favorable attitudes of corporal punishment. Triple P participants reported using alternative strategies before spanking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is argued that corporal punishment produces bad outcomes in both the short run and the long run. Instead of making students more attentive or motivated, corporal punishment leads to more delinquent behavior. In most developed countries, corporal punishment is banned in schools. However, in many developing countries, even if corporal punishment in schools is banned, the law may not be adequately enforced. Using a dataset from India, we show that corporal punishment in schools has a significantly negative impact on children's academic performance. To tackle the problem of endogeneity, we use the instrumental variables method and introduce a novel instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Lisa Bunting on the physical punishment of children in Great Britain, one by Dympna Devine and Margaret Kernan on the role of outdoor play on the education and care of children, and one by Judy Layland on the rights of children about home-schooling.

Spanking is a divisive discipline practice in the USA and is considered an inappropriate and harmful discipline tactic by some scholars and practitioners. However, increased diversity in the USA has contributed to varying cultural beliefs regarding discipline, which in turn influences child development. While prior literature has examined correlates of spanking, few studies have examined its impact on Latinx children over time. We examined the use of spanking by Mexican-American (n = 185) and Dominican-American mothers (n = 141) across three time points. The main objective was to investigate whether maternal spanking predicted externalizing problems in young Latinx youth overtime. Families were recruited from public urban schools. Data were collected when children were 4-, 5- and 6-years old. A three-wave cross-lagged multi-group path analysis examined the potential reciprocal relationships between maternal spanking and child externalizing behaviors. According to cross-sectional linear regression models, spanking was concurrently associated with behavior problems at all three time points. However, the results of the cross-lagged multi-group path analyses showed that spanking did not predict subsequent behavior problems, nor did behavior problems predict subsequent spanking. The impact of spanking on child behavior may not be long-lasting in all Latinx families. Spanking and youth externalizing problems are concurrently and positively related; however, maternal use of spanking as a means of discipline did not result in negative and long term effects on child externalizing problems. Implications for practice with Latinx families are explored. Highlights: Maternal spanking was concurrently associated with youth externalizing behaviors. No longitudinal effects of spanking on child externalizing behaviors were found. Model results did not differ by child gender or ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a unique pairing of household survey data and geolocational conflict data, we investigate the relationship between conflict intensity and the disciplinary methods employed by Iraqi households. We find that parents in high-conflict areas are more likely to use moderate and severe corporal punishment and are less likely to use constructive parenting techniques like redirection. A corresponding difference-in-differences analysis confirms the nature of this association. While there is a general sense that war has profound long-term impacts on the psychological health of children, research on transmission mechanisms remains limited. Given the persistence of early childhood outcomes into adulthood, these results are potentially an important piece of assessing and mitigating the long-term costs of war on civilian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has demonstrated the importance of low self-control and corporal punishment exposure as risk factors for the development of aggressive behaviors. However, much less is known about the interplay between these two factors, that is, the extent to which they each contribute uniquely to aggression and/or interact synergistically to create a profile of particularly severe risk. Similarly, high self-control may be a moderating protective factor that helps explain why only a subset of individuals exposed to corporal punishment develop high levels of aggression. Data from the longitudinal Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso) were used to address this question. Students completed self-report surveys at three time points; ages 11 (n = 1144; 51% males, 49% females), age 13 (n = 1366; 51% males, 49% females) and age 15 (n = 1447, 52% males and 48% females). An autoregressive cross-lagged panel model was used to examine self-control as a protective factor with both a direct effect and as a moderator of the links between corporal punishment and adolescent aggression across time. The results indicated that self-control was a protective factor against concurrent aggression. However, when considering the longitudinal effects, the protective capabilities of self-control differed depending on the stage of adolescence, gender and levels of exposure to risk. There was no consistent moderating effect of self-control. However, findings suggest that interventions that address low self-control are likely to be beneficial due to their direct effects on aggression, rather than by weakening the effects of exposure to harsh punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, parents across the globe have utilized corporal punishment against children in the name of discipline. This Article is the first legal article to examine cross-national trends in child corporal punishment laws and to propose ideas for reducing its practice using the social norms approach. By examining 192 countries over a 46-year period, we shed light on emerging patterns. Additionally, by delving into countries' self-reports regarding their compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) treaty, we observe other unique patterns globally. Notably, during the course of our empirical research and data collection (2017-2019), significant moves to decrease the prevalence of child corporal punishment have emerged, such as the 2019 legislation in Japan seeking to outlaw the practice of child corporal punishment in Japanese homes, and the 2018 American Association for Pediatricians Statement asserting its first public admonishment of physical discipline against children in the home. In our analysis, we utilize the country of Sweden--the first country worldwide to ban outright corporal punishment in the home--as our first case study to delve into the concept of norm cascades. We then showcase the country of Ethiopia--a country making great strides in changing societal norms about corporal punishment through public dissemination of literature and norm campaigns--as our second case study to examine concepts of re-norming. In conclusion, we demonstrate how social norms theories may be utilized to decrease the use and societal acceptance of child corporal punishment in the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pre-post design with 6–13-month follow-up assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a home-visiting intervention to promote early childhood development, improve parenting and shared decision-making, and reduce violence in impoverished Rwandan households. Twenty vulnerable families with a child 36-months or younger enrolled in Sugira Muryango. Measures of parenting, home environment, family-violence, decision-making, and health-status were administered at pre/post and follow-up. Families reported high satisfaction post-intervention. OMCI scores improved for 4.8% of mother-child dyads at post-intervention and 19.0% at follow-up, while 9.5% of dyads showed declines at both times. HOME Inventory scores improved for 9.5% and 14.3% of dyads at post-intervention and follow-up respectively and declined for 4.8% and 0.0%. Indicators for equal decision-making and child dietary-diversity improved at post-intervention and follow-up. Fewer mothers believed physical punishment was necessary at follow-up. Sugira Muryango shows promise for improving parenting, beliefs about harsh punishment, child nutritional status, and shared decision-making among vulnerable families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines whether international human rights law (IHRL) allows States to make exceptions based on the serious nature of the crime alleged and the age of a child accused of an offence. It specifically analyses the compatibility with IHRL of India's Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which allows children 16 or above and accused of heinous offences to be tried as adults. The central argument is that trial and punishment of children as adults, for any offence, violates the right to non-discrimination recognised under IHRL as well as the principle of best interest, reintegration objective of juvenile justice and rights of juveniles provided in the UN Convention on Rights of the Child, 1989 and other international instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that corporal punishment and growing up in socially disorganized neighborhoods may have differential effects on children of color compared to White children. We test this idea by employing multilevel models with interaction terms to examine whether the associations of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and maternal corporal punishment with behavior problems at age 5 differed by race/ethnicity. The analytic sample consisted of 2388 White, Black, or Hispanic families in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Covariates at the individual child, parent, and neighborhood levels were included to account for the racial/ethnic differences in structural and socioeconomic factors. Results demonstrate that race/ethnicity does not moderate the associations of maternal corporal punishment with internalizing or externalizing behavior problems in early childhood, nor does race/ethnicity moderate the association between neighborhood collective efficacy and externalizing behavior. However, the significant interaction between neighborhood collective efficacy and Hispanic ethnicity suggests that the protective role of collective efficacy on internalizing behavior is more pronounced in Hispanic children than White children. Overall, these findings underline the importance of multilevel interventions that strengthen neighborhood collective efficacy, particularly for Hispanic children, and of interventions that discourage physical discipline practices for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the arguments pro et contra banning of corporal punishment of children, in light of existing comparative legal solutions, experience from foreign countries and results of scientific research on the effects of this method of child discipline. According to the current state of knowledge, the fact that corporal punishment of children does not produce long-lasting positive changes in behavior, but likely produces several detrimental consequences; implies that this child discipline method should be abandoned and substituted by alternative ones. The experience of countries where the corporal punishment of children has been outlawed for decades tells us this may be achieved primarily through awareness raising activities and measures aimed at empowering parents and caregivers. A tendency to equate corporal punishment with physical abuse may turn out to be ineffective in suppression of inadequate child discipline practices if the focus of societal reaction is predominantely put on punishment and stigmatization of parents and caregivers instead on their proper training and empowering, and activities aimed at raising public awareness on the rights of children.

Spanking as a form of punishment continues to be a highly prevalent form of discipline employed by parents in the U.S. to encourage compliance from children. Recent research continues to support that spanking does not lead to positive outcomes for children, and can be potentially detrimental in several different development facets. Bullying and the negative consequences for children and society has recently been an especially popular topic in the literature. Although much has been written and explored about implications of spanking, very few research studies have investigated the link of parental spanking on bullying behavior in young children. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of spanking and the likelihood of bullying behaviors in early childhood. Data for this study were used from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, consisting of 1020 mothers with young children was used collected at 4 different time points (Year 1, Year 3, Year 5, and Year 9). By utilizing structural equation modeling, we developed an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model to longitudinally test the connection between maternal spanking and childhood bullying. Our results indicated that spanking at age 1 positively predicted childhood bullying at age 3 for male children and negatively predicted bullying for females. Numerous autoregressive paths were statistically significant, indicating that maternal spanking at younger ages predicted spanking as the child aged. To gain further understanding our results were separated by the gender of the child. The results of the study have important implications for researchers, educators, and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of child rights legislation in the African nation of Sierra Leone has revealed children articulating novel values for education and labor. Corporal punishment was used to reinforce for children the importance of schooling and uncompensated household labor to their development as people. With its legal banning, children are forming values that conflict with those held by elders and with rights doctrine itself. They differentiate between productive “work,” useful because it is remunerated and skilled or improves their social connections, and the drudgery of uncompensated “labor,” which reinforces their low social position. Toil such as road works and mining can be “work” if it is valued and remunerated, while the desultory job market, equally desultory classroom experience, low social status, and poor pay of teachers renders formal education subjected “labor.” This highlights children as strategic users of rights and as agents in determining what comprises their own best interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence remains a pervasive and common social problem. Evidence indicates that children witness many instances of intimate partner violence. However, the structure of children's thinking about family violence is still not well understood. This research employed latent profile analysis to identify underlying latent profiles of children's thinking about violence using the Attitudes and Beliefs About Violence Scale. The analysis identified two latent profiles mostly differentiated by children's beliefs about whether or not victims of violence deserve to have violence inflicted upon them. Several covariates differentiated members of the two profiles. Suggestions for intervention and practice are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the prohibition on punishment in the form of emotional, psychological and physical abuse under the Fascist school regulations, it was common - particularly in Italian rural classrooms - for the purpose of managing and disciplining students. Sticks, 'chickpeas' or 'donkey desks' represent just a few examples of the methods frequently used by teachers to control unruly pupils. These punishments are often recalled by teachers and students in several published and unpublished discourses. This essay, by viewing such memoirs retrospectively, aims to provide a new understanding of the disciplinary practices carried out during 1920-1940 within Fascist Italian schools located in two different rural areas and to investigate the ways in which teachers and pupils look back on this particular aspect of their past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary addresses the critique by Larzelere, Gunnoe, Roberts, and Ferguson (2017:Marriage & Family Review,53, 24–35) ostensibly concerning the quality of research on “positive parenting” but actually critiquing physical punishment research. The critique revealed that the authors have a poor understanding of positive parenting. After explicating the different meanings of that term and describing what positive parenting is, we then address each of their four critiques of the physical punishment research. Each critique was flawed in multiple ways. After identifying their errors and correcting misinformation, we then raise broader issues about children’s right not to be hit and how professional organizations are increasingly recognizing the need and calling for an end to all physical punishment of children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reciprocal feedback processes between experience and development are central to contemporary developmental theory. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel (ARCL) models represent a common analytic approach intended to test such dynamics. The authors demonstrate that-despite the ARCL model's intuitive appeal-it typically (a) fails to align with the theoretical processes that it is intended to test and (b) yields estimates that are difficult to interpret meaningfully. Specifically, using a Monte Carlo simulation and two empirical examples concerning the reciprocal relation between spanking and child aggression, it is shown that the cross-lagged estimates derived from the ARCL model reflect a weighted-and typically uninterpretable-amalgam of between- and within-person associations. The authors highlight one readily implemented respecification that better addresses these multiple levels of inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wealth of research suggests that youth whose parents use corporal punishment are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior during childhood and adolescence. Questions remain, however, about: (a) whether this relationship extends reliably to samples outside the US and Canada; (b) whether corporal punishment is associated with antisocial behavior in adulthood rather than just childhood and adolescence; (c) whether the association depends on which parents use corporal punishment; and (d) what theoretical mechanisms account for the link between corporal punishment and antisocial behavior. The present study uses data collected from young adults in Asia, Europe, and North America to address each of these issues. Net of statistical controls, including retrospective measures of childhood misbehavior and abusive parenting, findings reveal that antisocial behavior in all three regions is higher among young adults who report experiencing corporal punishment in childhood. Overall, this relationship is least likely to emerge when corporal punishment comes only from fathers and most likely to emerge when it comes from both parents. Further, results suggest that self-control and social concern, but not conventional attitudes, mediate a portion of the association between retrospective reports of childhood corporal punishment and antisocial behavior in early adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical English usage of the term "discipline" differentiates between the punitive sense, often perceived as negative and the educational sense of the word. However, looking to Jewish sources from antiquity, we find a more holistic mode of discipline that positively intertwines both dimensions. This article begins by examining the nominal and verbal uses of discipline (y.s.r) within Jewish wisdom traditions as exemplified by the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Ben Sira and the Wisdom of Solomon. I demonstrate how these sources encourage corporal disciplinary measures (y.s.r) as a key element in the acquisition of proper knowledge and cultural content (musar). Against this backdrop I turn to early rabbinic texts to examine a conceptually rich juxtaposition between lashes within an educational context (master-disciple) and lashes within a parental (father-child) and judicial (judge-convict) setting. I suggest that the bundling of these three disciplinary contexts articulates a Janus-facing ideal for the master as disciplinarian. The final section of the article considers the act of Torah study, specifically as an oral practice, as a disciplinary means to acquiring cultural content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]