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Corporal Punishment: From Ancient History to Global Progress

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Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan

Abstract

Corporal punishment of children reaches back at least to antiquity. Yet it is not universal. This chapter traces its history from pre-recorded history to the modern era, demonstrating the shifts in norms that have occurred over the centuries. The legal status of corporal punishment around the world is then examined, shedding light on the range of settings in which it occurs. The large body of research literature on corporal punishment’s outcomes is summarized, showing the degree of consistency in findings, as well as what has been learned from children themselves about the experience. Challenges to estimating the prevalence of corporal punishment are described, and standardized international estimates are presented. The chapter ends with a presentation of a range of approaches to its prevention.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Joan E. Durrant

Authors
  1. Joan E. Durrant
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan E. Durrant .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Robert Geffner

  2. School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensbo, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Jacquelyn W. White

  3. Dept of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    L. Kevin Hamberger

  4. Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Alan Rosenbaum

  5. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Education and Research, Zero Abuse Project, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Victor I. Vieth

Section Editor information

  1. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Ernestine Briggs

  2. School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Javonda Williams

  3. Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School/Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Michelle Clayton

  4. New Orleans Child Advocacy Center, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Stacie LeBlanc

  5. School of Social Work - PhD Program, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Owner/Principle Consultant & Trainer, Russell Consulting Specialists, LLc, Vancouver, Washington, USA

    Amy Russell

  7. Executive Director, Arthur D. Curtis Children's Justice Center http://www.clark.wa.gov/cjc

    Amy Russell

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Durrant, J.E. (2020). Corporal Punishment: From Ancient History to Global Progress. In: Geffner, R., White, J.W., Hamberger, L.K., Rosenbaum, A., Vaughan-Eden, V., Vieth, V.I. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_13-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_13-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

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