Delaware Bans Spanking

Delaware Governor Jack Markell has signed a new law that some say will criminalize the spanking of children in that state. The Delaware Legislature recently passed the new law that amends state statutes dealing with child abuse.

Under the changes, any person who intentionally causes “pain” to a child under 18 years of age would be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. Any person who causes “pain” to a child under three years of age would be guilty of a class G felony.

The Home School Legal Defense Association says that the new law makes Delaware the first state in the nation to effectively ban corporal punishment. Dee Black, senior counsel for HSLDA calls the law “a violation of the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children including the long-recognized right to administer reasonable corporal discipline.”