Parents throughout France now need to think twice before spanking children who misbehave, as it could land them in hot water with the law. According to a new law that was recently passed, parents will be required to spare the rod and turn to other measures of discipline — like positive reinforcement — instead.
On December 22, the French parliament successfully voted to enact the "Equality and Citizenship" bill, which places a country-wide ban on all forms of corporal punishment, including harmful physical treatment like caning, flogging, or, a more common form of punishment — spanking.
Child abuse was already illegal in the country, but this new law, which makes spanking a civil rather than criminal offense, was created to eradicate all forms of "degrading, cruel and humiliating" treatment of kids by their parents....