United States Congress: Add corporal punishment under the legal definition of child physical abuse

Corporal punishment is very similar to child physical abuse, distinguished only by a thin line of intent. When parents hit or spank their children for discipline, it's called corporal punishment. When they do it only to cause pain to the child, it's called physical abuse. The consequences to the child are similar, just differing in severity. Some of these consequences include a greater likelihood to be severely physically abused, a greater likelihood of the child growing up to abuse or assault their siblings, their spouses, their parents as elders, and their own children, shrinking of the midbrain and brain stem which controls aggression levels (physical abuse leads to more aggression), and finally a greater likelihood that as a teenager, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and risky sexual behavior, violent and non-violent crimes, psychological problems, and school drop outs will occur. Children also learn violence through parental modeling, when a parent uses violence to discipline their children, that child will learn to use violence as a discipline measure for every person in his or her life. In order to reduce the incidence of these harsh consequences, and stop the cycle of violence, abuse must be fully outlawed, which can only be done if the line between abuse and corporal punishment is finally erased.

Thank you so much for your support! Children deserve protection for all types of abuse and harm, and this is a major step in that direction

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