Legal Reforms
Corporal Punishment of Children in the Family
These nations have abolished corporal punishment of children in the family:
| Country | Law Enacted for Families |
| Sweden | 1979 |
| Finland | 1983 |
| Denmark | 1997 |
| Norway | 1987 |
| Austria | 1989 |
| Cyprus | 1994 |
| Croatia | 1999 |
| Latvia | 1998 |
| Israel | 1999 |
| Germany | 2000 |
| Bulgaria | 2000 |
| Iceland | 2003 |
| Romania | 2004 |
| Ukraine | 2004 |
| Hungary | 2004 |
| Greece | 2006 | Netherlands | 2007 |
| New Zealand | 2007 |
| Portugal | 2007 |
| Uruguay | 2007 |
| Venezuela | 2007 |
| Spain | 2007 |
| Chile | 2007 |
- The Council of Europe Committee on Social Rights has determined that court rulings in Italy (1996) prohibit all corporal punishment of children. A Supreme Court ruling prohibited corporal punishment in Nepal (2005). Neither court ruling is yet reflected in legislation.
- Belgium passed a new child protection law (2000). It is uncertain if the law calls for a complete ban on corporal punishment.
- The Swiss supreme court ruled in July 2003 that parents have a limited right to smack their children. Anything beyond an occasional smack will constitute a criminal offense the court said.
- The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in January 2004 that parents have a limited right to use physical punishment. The court ruled as follows:
- The court did not strike down Sec. 43 in the criminal code, which allows physical punishment of children by parents and teachers.
- School corporal punishment in both public and private schools is banned, immediately because the Court removed the defense. Just as in the U.S. states that now prohibit school corporal punishment, teachers in Canada will still be able to use physical force to remove a student or prevent immediate threats of harm to person or property, but they can no longer be subjected to physical punishment.
- Parents may no longer spank, slap or otherwise use any corporal punishment on children under the age of two or older than 12. Such action would now fall under assault laws.
- Parents may still strike children ages 3 through 12, but may not hit with an object, such as a paddle, belt, switch, etc.
- Parents may not hit an age 3 to 12 child on the head or face under any circumstance.
List of countries prohibiting corporal punishment in schools (May 2008)
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Congo, Republic of
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- DR Congo
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iran, Islamic Rep. of
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Micronesia, Fed. States
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Moldova
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- San Marino
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- TFYR Macedonia
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- UK
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zambia