title: On hitting children: a review of corporal punishment in the United States.
abstract: Research has clearly demonstrated associations between corporal punishment of children and maladaptive behavior patterns such as aggression and delinquency. Hitting children is an act of violence and a clear violation of children's human rights. In this article, the position of the United States on corporal punishment of children is discussed. Professional and international progress on ending corporal punishment is explained, and the relationship between corporal punishment and child abuse is discussed. An appeal is made for prevention efforts such as parent education and removal of social sanctions for hitting children that may hold significant promise for preventing child maltreatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH 43614, USA. michele.knox@utoledo.edu
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knox
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D001523:Mental Disorders; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016487:Parenting; D011678:Punishment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence