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- Special Interest
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- AwarenessChildrenParents
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- International
- Date change rule:
- Every April 30
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Spank Out Day advocates for non-violent discipline every April 30. This observance raises global awareness about the harmful effects of corporal punishment on children, promoting positive parenting alternatives. Join the movement to protect child well-being, share educational resources, and support child advocacy organizations.
Want to sponsor Spank Out Day? Learn how
History of Spank Out Day
Corporal punishment is a punishment intended to cause the receiver physical pain. In schools and at home, especially when dealing with a minor, corporal punishment often involves spanking, slapping, or paddling as a penalty for wrongdoing. Corporal punishment has been an accepted practice for millennia now. The Christian book of Proverbs has a verse promoting corporal punishment of children upon misbehavior. Many historians have offered explanations for this belief, often quoting the desire to maintain power within a patriarchal society. Corporal punishment was also practiced in civilizations such as Egypt, China, Rome, and Greece to maintain discipline in education.
Studies show that children who experience corporal punishment are more likely to have higher levels of aggression or mental illness — or have issues with cognitive development and substance abuse. Furthermore, no peer-reviewed research has found any positive effect of corporal punishment in children. Recognizing this, Sweden became one of the first countries to ban the corporal punishment of children in 1979. Since then, over 70 countries have either completely prohibited corporal punishment against children or pledged to do so.
As public awareness continued to grow, the Center for Effective Discipline in the U.S. established Spank Out Day in 1998.
Spank Out Day timeline
The ‘Book of Proverbs,’ which contains a verse that encourages spanking, is written and compiled.
Sweden becomes the first country to ban the corporal punishment of children.
The first Spank Out Day is observed in the U.S.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child declares that all corporal punishment of children, along with other forms of punishment that "belittles, humiliates, denigrates, scapegoats, threatens, scares, or ridicules," should be prohibited.
Spank Out Day FAQs
When is Spank Out Day?
In 2027, Spank Out Day falls on Friday, April 30, continuing its mission to promote positive parenting worldwide.
What is the impact of corporal punishment on children?
Studies from institutions like the American Academy of Pediatrics highlight that spanking can hinder a child’s cognitive development and damage the parent-child relationship. It teaches fear rather than understanding.
How many countries have banned corporal punishment?
The movement to ban corporal punishment continues to gain momentum, with a significant increase in countries adopting comprehensive bans in recent decades. Many more nations are actively working towards such legislation.
What are some alternatives to spanking?
Positive parenting strategies emphasize clear communication, setting consistent boundaries, and fostering emotional intelligence in children. Resources from organizations like The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) offer practical tools for these approaches.
How to Observe Spank Out Day
Express your disapproval
Corporal punishment is still socially acceptable in many countries. Express your disapproval of the corporal punishment of children, and discourage people from the practice.
Learn the alternative means of punishing misbehavior
Take this day to read about alternative means through which a child’s misbehavior can be punished or addressed. There are many valuable sources available online.
Share resources with parents you know
If you know any parents with children under their care, send resources that address corporal punishment to them. Help them understand the need to stop all forms of physical punishment against children.
5 Important Facts About Child Development
Brain structure
Child and adult brains have the same structure.
Learning begins immediately
Children begin learning as soon as they’re born; in fact, babies and toddlers are either learning or sleeping.
Intellectual development
Corporal punishment can hinder intellectual development in children.
Privacy
A child begins to develop an idea of privacy at four years of age.
Information organization
Children begin organizing information from memory by the age of seven.
Why Spank Out Day is Important
It raises awareness
The corporal punishment of children can have damaging effects on their psychology. Spank Out Day draws people’s attention to this fact.
It highlights the harmful effects
Spank Out Day highlights how harmful corporal punishment is to children. This goes a long way to steer society away from the practice.
It’s a reminder to keep the conversation going
Spank Out Day is a reminder to keep the conversation about corporal punishment going. It reminds us that spanking doesn’t work and that there are better, more effective ways to teach children discipline.
