Lawfulness of corporal punishment

Home

Norwegian civil and criminal laws apply in Svalbard. Corporal punishment is prohibited in the home. The 1926 right of parents to use moderate physical punishment was removed from the Criminal Code in 1972. The Parent and Child Act (1981) refers to parental “responsibilities” rather than “rights”, and in 1987 was amended to state: “The child shall not be exposed to physical violence or to treatment which can threaten his physical or mental health.” This is interpreted as prohibiting all corporal punishment of children, although physical restraint is permissible if the child risks injury to his or her self or others. Parents who use corporal punishment on their children may be prosecuted for assault, neglect or maltreatment under the Criminal Code and the statutory prohibitions against neglect or maltreatment, and parental use of physical punishment is taken into account in custody cases. A child may also take civil action for injuries they have sustained.

Schools

Corporal punishment has been unlawful in schools since 1936.

Penal system

Corporal punishment is unlawful as a sentence for crime and as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions.

Alternative care

Corporal punishment is unlawful in other institutions and forms of childcare.

Workplace

 Corporal punishment is prohibited.

Prevalence research

None identified.

Recommendations by human rights treaty bodies