ABSTRACT

Physical punishment has been partially controlled in Uruguay, although not by law, since 1847 (Bonfanti, 2005). At that time, the public school regulations allowed a maximum of three spanks. In 1877 the General Regulations for Public Schools prohibited corporal punishment in schools, under penalty of dismissal for teachers. At the beginning of the 20th century, this ban was reinforced by the imposition of fi nes for teachers, which helped reduce the prevalence of physical punishment in schools (Bonfanti, 2005).