ABSTRACT
The violence against children that takes place in the home and in school is often hidden under the guise of discipline. This chapter considers the effect and harm done to children through socially accepted corporal punishment, together with a possible nonviolent response. It exposes a more insipid type of violence, the hidden legalized violence of corporal punishment, including spanking, hitting, and paddling—all actions used with the intent to cause pain. Children are generally considered to be the most vulnerable members of society, yet they remain some of the least safeguarded citizens. Spanking children in their own homes—the place where they should be most protected—is not banned anywhere in the United States, and only 31 states have a restriction on physical punishment in schools. Society has not usually considered the corporal punishment of children as a violent action, but rather a parent’s, or school’s, right to discipline wayward children in ways deemed appropriate.
