Physical or corporal punishment by a parent or other legal guardian is any act causing deliberate physical pain or discomfort to a minor child in response to some undesired behavior. It typically takes the form of spanking or slapping the child with an open hand or striking with an implement such as a belt, slipper, cane , hairbrush, paddle , whip, or hanger. On a looser definition, it can also include shaking, pinching, forced ingestion of substances, or forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions.
Social acceptance of corporal punishment is high in countries where it remains lawful, particularly among more traditional groups. In many cultures, parents have historically been regarded as having the right, if not the duty, to physically punish misbehaving children in order to teach appropriate behavior or to stop inappropriate behavior immediately or in the short run. Many studies, on the other hand, have found that corporal punishment may have the opposite effect in the long run, increasing the chances of more aggressive behavior in children and less long-term obedience.
Severe forms of physical punishment, including kicking, biting, scalding and burning, can also constitute child abuse. International human-rights and treaty bodies such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child , the Council of Europe and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have advocated an end to all forms of corporal punishment, arguing that it violates children's dignity and right to bodily integrity.
During the late 20th and into the 21st century, some countries began removing legal defences for adult guardians' use of corporal punishment, followed by outright bans on the practice.
Ever since Sweden outlawed all corporal punishment of children in , an increasing number of countries have enacted similar bans, particularly following international adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As of [update] , this comprises 22 of the 27 member states of the European Union as well as 26 of the 38 countries belonging to the OECD. However, domestic corporal punishment of children remains legal in most of the world.
