New Canadian Study Reveals Persistent Spanking Among Younger Generations
A comprehensive new Canadian study has uncovered that approximately 20 percent of Generation Z and millennial parents in Canada continue to spank their children, challenging assumptions that this form of physical discipline has become obsolete in modern parenting practices. The research, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, represents the first detailed national examination of spanking prevalence across Canada and has sparked renewed calls for legislative reform.
Survey Reveals Widespread Acceptance and Practice
When researchers asked younger parents aged 18 to 27 (Generation Z) and those aged 28 to 42 (millennials) whether they had ever spanked their child or children on the bottom with their hand, about one in five responded affirmatively. The study surveyed nearly 4,000 adults across Canada, revealing that 15 percent agreed with the statement that spanking is necessary to properly raise a child.
"Having a history of being spanked as a child was associated with increasing odds of spanking one's own child," the researchers reported, highlighting a concerning intergenerational transmission of physical discipline practices.
Historical Prevalence and Physical Consequences
The study found that more than half of all respondents (55.6 percent) reported being spanked at least three times during their own childhoods, indicating widespread historical acceptance of corporal punishment in Canadian households. Perhaps more alarmingly, nearly a quarter of those who experienced spanking said it left a mark or bruise or caused lasting physical pain.
Dr. Tracie Afifi, first author of the study and a University of Manitoba professor who holds a Canada Research Chair in child adversity and resilience, emphasized the significance of these findings. "The prevalence of spanking history among Canadian adults is high," she noted, adding that while data suggests a downward trend, "we're moving in the right direction, but not nearly quickly enough."
Scientific Consensus Against Spanking
The research team pointed to mounting scientific literature that links spanking with the same harms as physical abuse, noting that no research has ever found spanking to be related to beneficial outcomes for children's health and development. Dr. Afifi stated unequivocally: "There are no arguments to keep the law and there is no argument to hit children. All the science is against it."
Calls for Criminal Code Reform
The study's findings have strengthened calls to abolish Section 43 of Canada's Criminal Code, which currently makes it legal for parents to spank children between the ages of two and twelve under specific circumstances. This contentious provision states that parents or caregivers "are justified in using force by way of correction" toward a child if that force doesn't exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.
While the Supreme Court upheld this provision in 2004 with clarifications—prohibiting spanking of children under two or over twelve, banning the use of objects like rulers or belts, and forbidding blows to the head or any strikes hard enough to leave marks—researchers argue these limitations are insufficient.
Canada's International Standing
Dr. Afifi noted that at least 70 countries or states have legally abolished all corporal punishment of children, putting Canada behind many international counterparts. "When I talk to global audiences, people are shocked that Canada isn't a leader in this area," she explained. "They say, 'I don't understand. Are you sure Canada still has a law that allows this?'"
Over the years, there have been more than a dozen private members' bills and legislative attempts to repeal Section 43, but none have succeeded to date. The new study provides what researchers hope will be compelling evidence to support future reform efforts.
"That means there are still a lot of children who are exposed to this type of physical discipline," Dr. Afifi concluded, emphasizing the urgency of addressing what she and her colleagues view as a significant public health concern affecting Canadian families across generations.
