The World Health Organisation (WHO) has renewed its call for a global end to corporal punishment, warning that over half of the world’s children under the age of 18 continue to experience it every year despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its harm.
In a new report released on Wednesday, the WHO revealed that corporal punishment remains alarmingly widespread and poses significant risks to children’s health and development.
Corporal punishment typically involves hitting children, but it extends to any physical measures imposed by parents, caregivers, or teachers intended to cause discomfort. It occurs both in private spaces like homes and in public settings such as classrooms.
Nigeria enacted the Child Rights Act in 2003, which prohibits physical punishment in schools. However, enforcement of the law has been inconsistent.
According to End Corporal Punishment, loopholes remain in the country’s legal framework, such as Article 295(4) of the Criminal Code, which still permits the use of force to “correct” children.
Despite ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Nigeria has yet to join the 67 countries that have banned corporal punishment in all settings, including homes and schools.
As such, while it is prohibited in schools, the practice remains lawful in the home, leaving millions of children vulnerable.
WHO stressed that wherever it occurs, the effects are far-reaching. Corporal punishment increases the risk of anxiety and depression, and reduces cognitive and socio-emotional development in children.
“Corporal punishment offers no benefits to the behaviour, development, or well-being of children — and no benefit to parents or societies either,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants. “It’s time to end this harmful practice to ensure children thrive at home and in school.”
Over the decades, extensive research has examined the effects of corporal punishment, and none has found it to be beneficial.
On the contrary, evidence points to multiple long-term negative health impacts.
“There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment carries multiple risks to the health of children,” Krug said.
An extensive study across 49 low- and middle-income countries found that children subjected to corporal punishment were 24 per cent less likely to be developmentally on track compared to peers.
The practice not only causes immediate physical harm but also elevates hormonal stress levels, altering brain structure and function. The report warned that such impacts can be lifelong.
Beyond individual harm, WHO underscored the societal consequences, saying that children who are physically punished are more likely to inflict the same treatment on their offspring, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of violence.
Adults who experienced corporal punishment as children are also more likely to develop violent, criminal, and aggressive behaviours.
“The practice of corporal punishment also fuels a broader social acceptance of violence, reinforcing harmful cycles across generations,” the report added.
Although corporal punishment is prevalent worldwide, regional variations exist.
In Europe and Central Asia, about 41 per cent of children experience corporal punishment at home, compared to 75 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa.
In schools, just 25 per cent of children in the Western Pacific are subjected to corporal punishment, compared with over 70 per cent in Africa and Central America.
WHO noted that boys and girls are equally likely to experience corporal punishment, though often for different behaviours and in various ways.
Children with disabilities face even higher risks, as do children in poorer or marginalised communities experiencing economic or racial discrimination.
The report emphasised that banning corporal punishment is crucial but insufficient on its own. Studies show that there is no consistent correlation between legal bans and actual reductions in the practice, underscoring the need for broader interventions.
Currently, 67 countries have enacted universal bans that outlaw corporal punishment both at home and in schools.
To strengthen these laws, WHO is calling for educational campaigns that highlight the dangers of corporal punishment and promote alternative discipline methods.
“Continuing use of corporal punishment and persisting belief in the necessity of its use despite legal bans suggest that efforts to enact and enforce such laws should be accompanied by campaigns to increase awareness,” the report said.
Evidence also suggests that if parents are made aware of safer, more effective methods of discipline, they are more likely to adopt them.
WHO concluded that eliminating corporal punishment is essential for protecting children’s health, dignity, and rights.
It urged governments worldwide, including Nigeria’s, to move beyond laws on paper and ensure that children grow up in safe, nurturing environments free from violence.
