Corporal punishment of minors in the United States , meaning the infliction of physical pain or discomfort by parents or other adult guardians, including in some cases school officials, [ 1 ] for purposes of punishing unacceptable attitude, is subject to varying legal limits, depending on the state. Minor children in the United States commonly experience some form of corporal punishment , such as spanking or paddling. Despite opposition from medical and social-services professionals, as of [update] , the spanking of children is legal in all 50 states and, as of [update] , most people still believe it is acceptable provided it does not involve implements.
Corporal punishment is most frequent for toddler-age children and continues into children's adolescence. More than a third of parents in the US report using corporal punishment on children less than a year old, often with a slap on the hand.
Race, gender, and social class appear to be significant factors in U. Boys are more likely than girls to be spanked at home, [ 10 ] and corporal punishment of boys tends to be more severe and more aggressive than that of girls. A real-time investigation of mothers in Texas found that nearly half used some form of corporal punishment during the duration of the study. Subjects tended to use spanking when angry and for trivial misdeeds, such as minor social transgressions by children.
Those mothers who spanked tended to rely on spanking as a punishment rather than using it as a "last resort". These episodes of corporal punishment were not usually effective in stopping the unwanted behaviour.
Public support for parents' right to spank remains high in the U. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages corporal punishment because the nonphysical discipline techniques work better and avoid the negative consequences of physical punishment, including: Making children more aggressive or more violent, potentially causing physical harm to them, and teaching them that it's acceptable to physically hurt a loved one.
