Guest editors' introduction to special issue on corporal punishment of children in AustraliaCorporal punishment of children is prevalent across the globe (Durrant, 2022), with almost six in 10 young Australians reporting having experienced it during their childhood (Havighurst et al., 2023). The evidence on this widespread practice is clear: It is not only ineffective but also actively harmful to children and families (Gershoff, 2010;Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016;Heilmann et al., 2021). Thus, it is argued that caregivers should use alternative strategies, protecting children from harms caused by corporal punishment (Havighurst et al., 2023). The debate around corporal punishment is, however, ongoing. On the one hand, it is a practice perpetuated by perceptions of its effectiveness and necessity, which are informed by societal norms and expectations, historic precedents, personal histories, and religious doctrines. On the other hand, there is a growing body of scientific evidence of that practice's ineffectiveness and negative impact, a growing recognition of children's rights to lives free from violence, and a growing movement toward prohibition of corporal punishment in the home and other settings. To add complexity, even among those who want a world free from corporal punishment, there is debate about how to best achieve that goal. Evidence and articulation are needed to inform this ongoing debate.This special issue therefore aims to provide a rigorous, peer-reviewed resource that explores the current situation and why it needs to change, potential solutions toward that change, and factors that should be considered when enacting those solutions. It begins with an empirical interrogation by Haslam et al., regarding current attitudes toward, and use of, corporal punishment in Australia. Data from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study are utilised to indicate that the practice's acceptability and use are widespread but waning (Haslam et al., 2024). The human rights implications of this situation are detailed in the following paper by Greeff, with a focus on the Australian Government's violations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which calls for total prohibition of corporal punishment. The final five papers each explore various factors that influence the movement toward prohibition in Australia. Greeff (2024b) provides a comprehensive review of the laws and norms relevant to this cause, and the resulting legal landscape that must be navigated when seeking to reform corporal punishment legislation. Dallaston (2024) further explores the laws on corporal punishment, highlighting the range of defences that may be drawn on in legal proceedings, and the subjectivity of legal decisions, which may limit the effectiveness of prohibition. The limits of prohibition are illustrated by Gonzalez et al., (2024), who utilise data from eight high-income countries to show that prohibition may not necessarily translate into a reduction in the prevalence of corporal punishment, indicating that other fact...
