Posted: 25 September, 2025 Filed under: Nqobani Nyathi | Tags: 1.2 billion children, Africa, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Children with disabilities, corporal punishment of children, dropout rates, General Comment 9, global public health concern, Guidelines on Ending Violence Against Children in Africa, no benefits, physical force, public health crisis, religion, religious traditions, tradition, violence, World Health Organisation (WHO)
Author: Nqobani Nyathi
Doctoral Candidate, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
On 20 August 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a report declaring corporal punishment of children a global public health concern. By definition, corporal punishment is any punishment where physical force is used with the intention of causing some degree of discomfort or pain, however light.
The statistics are staggering. An estimated 1.2 billion children around the world are subjected to corporal punishment at home every year. Children exposed to such violence are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and emotional instability. These effects often persist into adulthood, increasing the risk of alcohol and drug use, and violent behaviour. In schools, corporal punishment contributes to dropout rates and poor educational outcomes.
WHO’s framing of corporal punishment as a public health crisis is a turning point. For too long, the issue has been treated as a matter of tradition, religion and discipline. Now there is evidence that it is a practice that harms children, families and societies, with no benefits at all.
Africa’s challenge
The report shows that corporal punishment is especially widespread in Africa. In sub–Saharan Africa, 70.6% of children are exposed to it at home. In Some countries the figures are high, with 77% in Togo and 64% in Sierra Leone. The lifetime prevalence of corporal punishment in school settings is 70% in African and Central America.
Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. Evidence from Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo shows a high prevalence of corporal punishment against children with disabilities from various sources, including parents and teachers.
What the regional framework says
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Charter) guarantees children’s right to dignity and protection from all forms of abuse.
In its General Comments, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) has urged State parties to the African Children’s Charter outlaw corporal punishment, including most recently, in General Comment 9 on the right to education. In its Concluding Observations, it has also continuously recommended the abolition of corporal punishment in all settings.
The ACERWC also released Guidelines on Ending Violence Against Children in Africa, urging States to design and implement programmes on positive parenting, among other measures.
Africa’s Agenda 2040, the African Unions’ roadmap for children’s rights, commits states to eliminate violence against children by 2040. Yet, progress is slow. Only a handful of African countries have explicitly banned the practice in all settings. These are Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Guinea , South Africa, Benin, Cabo Verde, South Sudan, Republic of Congo , Kenya, Tunisia and Togo. In most, it remains legal at home and in schools under the guise of ‘reasonable chastisement.’
Why the law matters but is not enough
Corporal punishment is entrenched in cultural and religious traditions. Science and human rights law show otherwise. Violence breeds fear and trauma, not discipline.
Banning corporal punishment is an important first step. The law can help shift social norms and show that violence against children is unacceptable. Legal prohibition must be followed by implementation and education. Parents and teachers need support to adopt positive discipline, and communities must be encouraged to see children as rights holders deserving of dignity.
As the WHO report shows, the costs of inaction are high. Beyond individual suffering by children, corporal punishment harms society at large, leading to higher crime rates, weaker educational outcomes, and places a heavy burden on public health systems.
What should be done
African states must align their laws with the regional commitments and abolish corporal punishment in all settings. States should also take other measures, such as pairing prohibition with investment in parent training, teacher support and community awareness campaigns to promote non-violent discipline and at the same time, involve young people themselves to shift the mindset. As other young advocates remind us, what is normalised is not always what is right.
There is a need for a stronger coordinated action at regional level, making the abolition of corporal punishment a continental priority, linking it to the health, education and human rights agendas.
From commitments to action
The WHO report shows that corporal punishment carries multiple risks and no benefits. Africa has the framework and the road map. What is needed now is the political will and this is an opportune time to use the report to consolidate efforts to end corporal punishment so that every child grows up free from violence.
About the Author:
Nqobani Nyathi is a Zimbabwean lawyer, Doctoral Candidate and Researcher at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
