Whether or not spanking your child is abuse is the subject of much debate. While many people think it is a practice that should have stopped decades ago, others believe that punishments such as spanking could have prevented some shortcomings of recent generations.
No matter what your personal beliefs are, California law has its own rules. California criminalizes any conduct towards a minor under the age of 18 that willfully inflicts either:. These terms are then further defined. Corporal punishment is the legal phrase used for bodily or physical harm instead of mental or psychological harm.
A traumatic condition sounds severe but is only any wound or bodily injury caused by the direct application of force on a minor. The traumatic condition can be either minor or severe, so long is it observable. Many teenagers may demand to be treated like adults. But if you harm them, you may end up facing child abuse charges.
However, the definition of what is cruel differs between actions towards an infant or a sixteen-year-old. One final point is that the abuse must be willful. That means that you acted purposely. It does not mean you intended to actually harm the minor.
If you decide to spank your child, you will typically not face child abuse charges in California. Spanking is not considered child abuse so long as it is:. Technically, so long as you abide by those two rules, you can spank a child with either your bare hand or a belt. However, what is considered excessive is not always clear. The younger the child, the less flexibility you may have to spank them.
