Spanking remains legal despite being an outdated and controversial form of disciplining children.
Spanking children is still surprisingly common in Canada according to a new study recently published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, led by UM researcher Dr. Tracie Afifi (Canada Research Chair in child adversity and resilience, and a Professor in the College of Community and Global Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences).
Afifi’s study is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence and national attitudes towards spanking in Canada.
Despite decades of research showing the harms of spanking and the lasting impact it has on children, nearly 1 in 5 Generation Z and Millennial parents still use this controversial method to discipline children.
“While spanking remains legal in Canada, it infringes on a child’s fundamental rights to live free from violence,” says Afifi. “The law needs to be changed if we want to protect children from harm and change parental behaviour.”
Section 43 of the Criminal Code makes it legal for parents to spank children between the ages of 2 and 12. There are some restrictions including; children cannot be hit in the head or neck, it may not be done in anger or as retribution, it can not involve an object like a wooden spoon and cannot leave a bruise or physical mark.
In 2024, nearly 3,800 parents (aged 18-49) were asked to self-report on spanking beliefs and behaviours. Afifi and her team wanted to determine the prevalence of spanking in different age groups and to see if a family history of being spanked influenced parents to hit their own children.
The results show that nearly 20% of Canadian Generation Z (age 18-27) and Millennial (age 28-42) parents spank their children. While this number indicates a downward trend from previous generations – 45% of Generation X parents say they spanked their children – spanking is still surprisingly common among young parents.
According to Afifi, decades of scientific research provide clear evidence that spanking is harmful to child health and development and does not meaningfully improve behaviour.
Not only does spanking risk physical injury to the child, it also increases the likelihood of mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Children who are spanked have an increased risk of substance use, higher levels of anti-social behaviour and often suffer from a fractured parent/child relationship and reduced trust in their caregiver.
“There are many reasons parents spank their children,” says Afifi. “And spanking does not necessarily mean they are bad parents. They think they are doing the right thing.”
The data shows that those who were spanked as a child are more likely to think it is acceptable to hit their own children. Parents who were brought up in a household where spanking was. This normalizes the behaviour and makes it more difficult to reverse the trend.
The most common argument for spanking comes from people who were spanked as children who say they "turned out fine". While this may be the case for some, research shows that spanking increasing the likelihood of numerous harmful health, developmental and relationship outcomes.
A societal cultural shift away from spanking is also made more difficult when there is public policy in place that says it is acceptable to spank children.
“As long as it is legal in Canada to spank your child, it will be hard to change the societal cultural beliefs held by older generations of parents and the cycle will continue,” says Afifi.
Canada has been slow to follow more than 70 countries and states that have made it illegal to spank children. Sweden, for example, outlawed spanking in 1979.
Advocates have been working for decades to repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code, and they have come close. Most recently in 2025, the law made it further than ever before when there was an abrupt change of government and all progress was lost.
“This law infringes on the rights of children to live free from violence,” says Afifi. “Changing peoples attitudes around spanking will come from the top and changing the law is an essential first step in reducing the behaviour.”
Providing supports for positive parenting
Afifi’s research points to a need for public awareness and improved education about the harms of spanking. More resources need to be directed to parenting education.
“Parents need to be taught positive parenting skills that do not include hitting,” says Afifi. “There are many avenues for providing support to parents such as through public health services, prenatal education, home visits and even online resources.”
The data clearly shows that spanking is still too common in Canada. Repealing the law allowing spanking and investing in more positive parenting education will help the next generation of parents keep children safer.
Read about the research in The Canadian Journal of Public Health.
For nearly 150 years, UM has transformed lives through groundbreaking research and homegrown innovation. We push the boundaries of knowledge and do the hard work here in Manitoba to move our community and the world forward. With a spirit of determination and discovery, we are shaping a better future for our province and beyond.
Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.
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