Corporal punishment through the ages: Spare the rod, spoil the child?

What’s on offer?

A 50-min online talk with Q&A. The use of physical force in Wales and Scotland within the home has been abolished. It is still legal in England to smack a child if it is ‘reasonable punishment’. The topic of this talk is the history of corporal punishment of children. We’ll be discussing public and political views of corporal punishment, exploring the divisory and contradictory opinions and justifications across the nineteenth- and twentieth-century.  

What’s it about?

As well as the changes to corporal punishment over time and across different contexts, the talk will explore differences according to demographics. For example, we’ll look at how gender and age impact the justification of corporal punishment and how this has fed into the institutional, political and public debates surrounding whether, and to what extent, corporal punishment should be allowed. The divisory, contradictory and emotive nature of corporal punishment will be discussed alongside the arguments for and against the efficacy of its use. Practice, policy and ideals often do not align, but this is especially the case concerning the history of corporal punishment. The talk will be split into three sections focused on corporal punishment within: the criminal justice system (both judicial and within institution); educational setting; and the private familial sphere. 

In the Q&A at the end of the session the speaker welcomes views, reactions and questions concerning corporal punishment from those in attendance.  

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Emma Watkins, Associate Professor in Criminology

Open to

All ages

Of particular interest to

This talk will be of particular interest to those with an interest in social history and policy, the history of the criminal justice system and juvenile justice in particular.