Corporal Punishment

Corporal punishment (CP), also called physical punishment, is defined as the intentional use of force or infliction of pain to discipline children for inappropriate behavior. The most common manifestation is spanking on the buttocks (also called smacking and whooping) either with the hand or an object (e.g., spoon, belt, paddle). Less common manifestations of CP include slapping, pinching, pulling hair or ears, forcing a child to stay in one position until it becomes painful, confining a child in an uncomfortable location, denying a child use of bathroom, withholding food or water, or forcing a child to ingest a noxious substance (such as hot sauce).

For the first decade of life, many individuals are recipients of CP. The rate of CP drops during middle childhood and adolescence. ...