Corporal punishment of children remains common worldwide
| August 09, 2010 | |
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Spanking and other forms of corporal punishment of children are still common in the United States and worldwide according to a recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center.
Dr. Desmond Runyan
Lead author Desmond Runyan, MD, DrPH, clinical professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and professor of pediatrics and social medicine at UNC’s School of Medicine, said the findings are stark, despite bans on corporal punishment that have been adopted in 24 countries since 1979. Runyan conducted surveys in Egypt, India, Chile, the Philippines, Brazil and the United States to track international variations in corporal punishment. “Harsh treatment of children was epidemic in all communities,” Runyan said. “Our data support the conclusions that maltreatment occurs in all nations.”
His findings, published online Aug. 2 by the journal Pediatrics, include:
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.
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