Corporal Punishment in Schools in Low-Income Countries: An Evidence Review

Harsh psychological and physical punishment in school can slow down or halt children’s academic achievement, completion rates, and safe, healthy, development into adulthood. Corporal punishment in schools in low-income countries is a widespread, under-addressed form of gender-based violence that ultimately violates children’s rights and exacerbates public health and socio-economic inequalities. At the request of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), NORC at the University of Chicago conducted an evidence review in response to guiding questions:

• What is the extent, nature, and consequences of corporal punishment in schools in low-income countries?
• How is corporal punishment in schools gendered in processes and outcomes in low-income countries?
• Do studies from low-income countries address social norms in upholding or challenging corporal punishment in schools as a widely accepted practice?

Findings contained within the evidence review can inform future program design, research, evaluation, and both education and public health policies.