Objective: To examine attitudes, conflicts, images, circumstances, and time-period effects associated with corporal punishment and other forms of adult-to-child violence during the early 20th century in the United States. Method: A sample of 147 letters, referencing corporal punishment and dating from 1924 to 1939, were analyzed using both…

Interviews with nationally representative samples of American (N=1,146) and Swedish (N=1,168) families revealed no significant differences between the countries in reported severe or abusive violence toward their children, in spite of the passage of an antispanking law in Sweden. In general, Swedish parents reported using less violence than…

This report represents the first ever attempt to draw a comparative picture of the physical abuse of children in the 27 richest nations of the world. UNICEF research estimates that almost 3,500 children under the age of 15 die from physical abuse and neglect every year in the industrialized world. The greatest risk is among younger children. A…