ITALYITALYA study of the relationship between gender and physical punishment in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the US, which used interviews with around 4,000 mothers, fathers and children aged 7-10, found that in Italy, 61% of girls and 66% of boys involved in the study had experienced “mild” corporal punishment (spanking, hitting, or slapping with a bare hand; hitting or slapping on the hand, arm, or leg; shaking; or hitting with an object), and 12% of girls and 23% of boys had experienced severe corporal punishment (hitting or slapping the child on the face, head, or ears; beating the child repeatedly with an implement) by someone in their household in the past month. Much smaller percentages of parents believed it was necessary to use corporal punishment to bring up their child: for girls, 5% of mothers and 2% of fathers believed it was necessary; for boys, 4% of mothers and fathers believed it was necessary.
(Lansford, J. et al, 2010, “Corporal Punishment of Children in Nine Countries as a Function of Child Gender and Parent Gender”, International Journal of Pediatrics)
In a 2009 study, 63% of parents of children aged 3-5, 55% of parents of children aged 6-10 and 40% of parents of children aged 11-16 said that they had slapped their children. Over one third (34%) of 11-13 year olds and 24% of 14-16 year olds said that their parents had slapped them. Two per cent of 11-13 year olds and 1% of 14-16 year olds said that it happened almost every day. The study involved 1,000 telephone interviews with a representative sample of the Italian population and online interviews with 600 parents and 500 11-16 year olds. Parents and children were asked how children react when they are slapped, and why parents slap. Around 20% of parents, 14% of 11-13 year olds and 26% of 14-16 year olds said that children are angry, want revenge on their parents and will deliberately repeat the behaviour which led the parent to smack them. Around 30% of 11-16 year olds and 23% of parents of 11-16 year olds said that children are offended and will respect their parents less. Only 8-14% of parents and children thought that parents slap because they believe that it is the best thing to do, while around half of parents and children said that parents slap because of exasperation or fear. Seventeen per cent of parents of 11-16 year olds and around 13% of 11-16 year olds felt that it was “essential” that all corporal punishment be prohibited by law in Italy, while a further 26% of parents and 30-37% of young people said that a law prohibiting corporal punishment would be useful. Two thirds (67%) of parents of 11-16 year olds, 62% of parents of 6-10 year olds and 59% of parents of 3-5 year olds strongly agreed that it is not acceptable or legitimate to beat a child.
(Save the Children Italia ONLUS and Ipsos, 2009, Vissuto della punizione corporale e reazioni all'ipotesi di un'educazione senza violenza (in Italian)
images.savethechildren.it/f/download/Educazione-senza-violenza/Ri/Ricerca.pdf)
Telephone interviews with 1,009 adults aged 14 years and over in April 2004, revealed that 69% believe it is acceptable for parents to smack their children, including 7% who believe it is always acceptable and 62% who believe there are some circumstances in which it is acceptable. One in four believes it is unacceptable in any circumstances.
(Market & Opinion Research International, 2004, "Attitudes towards smacking children: Italy", Research conducted for the Association for the Protection of All Children)
Data analysis of calls to Telefono Azzurro (a children's helpline) between January 2000 and June 2002 indicated that over 40% of abuse was physical and 78.6% of all child abuse takes place in the home, with children up to 10 years of age being most at risk.
(Analysis presented in the alternative report by Telefono Azzurro to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, February 2003)
An inspection by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the penal institution for minors in Naples found that staff believed in and administered slaps to the child detainees, for their “educational function”.
(Cecchetti, R. & Boffi, A., 2002, Rights of the Child in Italy: Report on the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, Switzerland: World Organisation against Torture)