Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform

Sophie S Havighurst; Ben Mathews; Frances L Doyle; Divna M Haslam; Karl Andriessen; Carmen Cubillo; Sharon Dawe; David J Hawes; Cynthia Leung; Trevor G Mazzucchelli; Alina Morawska; Sarah Whittle; Carys Chainey; Daryl J Higgins

doi:10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100044

Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform

Aust N Z J Public Health. 2023 Jun;47(3):100044. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100044. Epub 2023 May 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Mindful: Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: sophie.h@unimelb.edu.au.
² Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: b.mathews@qut.edu.au.
³ School of Psychology, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: f.doyle@westernsydney.edu.au.
⁴ Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: divna.haslam@qut.edu.au.
⁵ Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: karl.andriessen@unimelb.edu.au.
⁶ Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance, Northern Territory. Electronic address: carmen.cubillo@amsant.org.au.
⁷ Division of Psychology, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: s.dawe@griffith.edu.au.
⁸ School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia. Electronic address: david.hawes@sydney.edu.au.
⁹ Mitchell Institute, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: Cynthia.Leung@vu.edu.au.
¹⁰ Division of Psychology, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: trevor.mazzucchelli@curtin.edu.au.
¹¹ Parenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: alina@psy.uq.edu.au.
¹² Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: swhittle@unimelb.edu.au.
¹³ Parenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: c.chainey@uq.edu.au.
¹⁴ Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: daryl.higgins@acu.edu.au.

PMID: 37142485
DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100044

Abstract

Objective: Across all of Australia's states and territories, it is legal for a parent or carer to hit their child. In this paper, we outline the legal context for corporal punishment in Australia and the argument for its reform.

Methods: We review the laws that allow corporal punishment, the international agreements on children's rights, the evidence on the effects of corporal punishment, and outcomes of legislative reform in countries that have changed their laws to prohibit corporal punishment.

Results: Legislative reform typically precedes attitude changes and reductions in the use of corporal punishment. Countries with the most ideal outcomes have instigated public health campaigns educating the population about law reform while also providing access to alternative non-violent discipline strategies.

Conclusions: Extensive evidence exists demonstrating the adverse effects of corporal punishment. When countries change legislation, educate the public about these effects, and provide alternative strategies for parents, rates of corporal punishment decrease.

Implications for public health: We recommend law reform in Australia to prohibit corporal punishment, a public health campaign to increase awareness of corporal punishment and its effects, provision of access for parents to alternative evidence-based strategies to assist in parenting, and a national parenting survey to monitor outcomes.

Keywords: australia; children; corporal punishment; law change; parents.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Australia
Child
Child Abuse* / prevention & control
Health Promotion
Humans
Parenting
Parents
Punishment*