Laws often track closely with popular consensus on the value of a certain form of conduct so its no surprise that there is little agreement between states about whether spanking is illegal child.
Is it legal to hit your child in texas. The Texas Penal Code provides a defense for parents charged with Injury to a Child under Section 2204 when the force was used to reasonably discipline the child. A very common reason to lose custody of a child is child abuse. Spanking with instruments other than a belt or brush such as electrical or phone cords yardsticks ropes shoes or wires.
Pundits and parents have argued for decades over whether spanking is child abuse. The Texas Attorney General has offered some guidelines on its website to help parents and guardians identify potential abusive actions. So is it legal to hit your kids.
The short answer is that spanking is not illegal in the State of Texas under most circumstances. And when it may be illegal to spank a child in Texas. Child abuse is the number one reason to lose custody of a child.
Physical Hitting shaking kicking pinching slapping throwing hair pulling and burning the child with scalding water or other hot objects. Hitting a child in anger. However the line between parenting and child abuse is not always that clear.
In addition visitation may become limited or supervised. And the smacking of kids by teachers nursery workers and child care. The National Association of School Psychologists explains corporal punishment as the intentional infliction of pain or discomfort andor the use of physical force upon a student with the.
Even if you are charged with injury to a child there is a defense related to the reasonable discipline of a child. Spanking or paddling isnt considered abuse as long. Specifically Section 961 provides that a parents use of force but not deadly force against a child will be.