Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-332) and index.

Theoretical approaches to corporal punishment / Murray A. Straus, Michael Donnelly -- Corporal punishment in ecological perspective / James Garbarino -- Parent-offspring conflict and corporal punishment in primates / Lynn Fairbanks, Michael T. McGuire -- Putting corporal punishment of children in historical perspective / Michael Donnelly -- Grid-group theory and corporal punishment / Jean Giles-Sims, Charles Lockhart -- The origins of physical punishment : an ethological/attachment perspective on the use of physical punishment by human parents / Patricia Crittenden -- Behavioral theory and corporal punishment / Scott Powers, Robert Larzelere -- Behavior analysis, evolutionary theory, and the corporal discipline of children / William B. Baum, Anne S. Kupfer -- Spare the rod and spoil the child : lay theories of corporal punishment / Adrian Furnham -- Difficulties of making rational choices concerning corporal punishment of children / Scott Feld -- Unintended consequences of punishment / Joan McCord -- Moral development and corporal punishment / John Martin Rich -- Corporal punishment of children : a communication-theory perspective / Dominic A. Infante -- Conflict theory of corporal punishment / Randall Collins -- Punishment of children from the perspective of control theory / Travis Hirschi, Michael R. Gottfredson -- Punishment, child development, and crime : a theory of the social bond / Thomas J. Scheff -- Exchange theory / Richard J. Gelles -- Corporal punishment and the stress process / Heather Turner -- Corporal punishment and Black's theory of social control / James Tucker, Susan Ross -- The structure of family rules about hitting : a family-systems perspective / Carlfred B. Broderick.

Despite being commonplace in households a generation ago, corporal punishment of children has been subjected to criticism and shifting attitudes in recent years. Many American school districts have banned it, and many child advocates recommend that parents no longer smack or strike their children. In this book, social theorist Michael Donnelly and family violence expert Murray Straus tap the expertise of social science scholars and researchers who address issues of corporal punishment, a subject that is now characterised as a key issue in child welfare. The contributors discuss corporal punishment, its use, causes and consequences, drawing on a wide array of comparative, psychological and sociological theories. Together, they clarify the analytical issues and lay a strong foundation for future research and interdisciplinary collaboration.