The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized corporal punishment as a global public health concern, highlighting its detrimental impact on children’s health and well-being. The WHO emphasizes that hitting or scolding children for misdeeds can lead to severe physical and psychological harm and may also contribute to the development of criminal behaviors.
Research by the WHO across 49 low- and middle-income countries revealed that children exposed to corporal punishment – including being hit or subjected to any form of discipline intended to cause pain or discomfort, no matter how mild – showed a 24 percent reduction in their developmental prospects compared to children who were not subjected to such treatment. Globally, approximately 1.2 billion children face physical punishment each year. The report indicates that of the children who experienced physical punishment in the past month, 17 percent were subjected to severe forms, such as being hit on the head, face, or ears, or being struck forcefully and repeatedly.
Parents, teachers, and caregivers often justify physical punishment, citing a desire to correct the child’s behavior and instill discipline. They may believe that physical punishment is a form of love, aimed at preventing the child from engaging in negative behaviors. However, such beliefs are contradicted by the evidence.
According to the WHO, there is now definitive scientific evidence indicating that physical punishment poses various health risks to children, offering no benefits to their behavior, development, or overall well-being, nor to parents or society. Experts in clinical psychology suggest that physical punishment often exacerbates anger and stubbornness in children, and is therefore not the most effective method of discipline.
Instead of physical punishment, the report suggests alternatives, including engaging in rational conversations to explain the child’s misbehavior and its consequences, and offering praise and encouragement for positive actions to reinforce desired behaviors.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 include a specific call to eliminate violence against children, with target 16.2 explicitly stating that “abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children must end,”. However, progress towards this goal remains slow.
While corporal punishment is prevalent across the globe and in various cultures, regional variations exist. For example, about 41 percent of children in Europe and Central Asia experience physical punishment at home, compared to 75 percent in the Middle East and North Africa. The disparity is even more significant in schools, with just 25 percent of children in the Western Pacific region experiencing physical punishment during their schooling, compared to more than 70 percent in Africa and Central America. The rates of physical punishment are similar for both girls and boys, although in some areas, girls might face different forms or methods of punishment.
The report also notes that children with disabilities are at a higher risk of physical punishment. Furthermore, the likelihood of physical punishment increases in impoverished communities and those facing economic or racial discrimination.
Physical punishment is often accompanied by psychological punishment, including shaming, humiliating, and threatening a child. In many societies, corporal punishment is not viewed as wrong and is linked to religious and cultural traditions.
Currently, 68 out of 193 countries have completely outlawed corporal punishment. Sweden was the first to do so, back in 1979. In the UK, corporal punishment is banned in Scotland and Wales, but remains legal in domestic settings in England and Northern Ireland.
To combat the use of physical punishment, the report stresses the importance of enacting and enforcing laws, as well as launching awareness campaigns. The aim is to educate parents about the negative effects of physical discipline on children’s mental and emotional well-being, while providing guidance on alternative, supportive methods. Children learn by observing their parents; therefore, parents should model the behaviors they want their children to adopt. The report emphasizes that if parents were aware of alternative, more effective disciplinary methods, they would likely adopt them.