Nov 27, 2007 8:00 am US/Central
Massachusetts Considers Spanking Ban
BOSTON (CBS) ―
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The Massachusetts State House is the oldest building on Boston's Beacon Hill. (File)
WBZ
Massachussetts lawmakers are discussing a controversial proposal that would make spanking illegal in the state, reports CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston.
Kathleen Wolf, an Arlington nurse, is spearheading the effort to make Massachusetts the first state to outlaw corporal punishment, according to the Boston Herald.
If her proposal becomes law, parents could be charged with abuse or neglect for forcefully laying a hand on their child unless they are trying to wrest that child from danger.
The proposal would ban spanking of children under 18 in the home as well as in public.
The State Supreme Court ruled in 1999 that parents can spank their kids provided they don't threaten bodily injury.
Sweden was the first country to ban spanking in 1979. Numerous other countries have also banned corporal punishment, including Greece, Germany, Israel and Bulgaria.
Wolf's proposal will be debated at a State House hearing Nov. 28.
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