Children are the only Canadian citizens who can be legally hit. The judge who rendered the decision suggested that it may be time for parliament to review Section 43. Section 43 has been used as a successful defense in dozens of cases that most people would consider abuse. Cases like these are not the exception. Surveys show that at least half of parents who use corporal punishment resort to it twice weekly or more, and one-third use sticks, whips, and cords half the time.
Corporal punishment is counter-productive as a form of discipline.
Research strongly correlates spanking with aggression in children, delinquency in adolescents, and criminal behaviour in adults. Adults who were hit as children are more likely to have drug and alcohol problems and marriages marked by conflict and divorce than those who were disciplined non-violently. And children who tend to be aggressive by nature become more aggressive when they re hit. Brain research shows that physical punishment of young children causes brain damage. Hitting infants and toddlers stimulates production of the stress-response hormone cortisol, which may lead to permanent damage and result in older children and adults becoming unable to control violent impulses.