Corporal Punishment Through the Ages

Join Dr Emma D. Watkins 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. As well as the changes to corporal punishment over time and across different contexts, the talk will explore differences according to demographics.

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 family home.