Is it Legal to Spank My Child In Nevada?

Corporal punishment is a very hotly-debated topic between parents, parenting experts, child therapists, and pediatricians. There are two schools of thoughts on this topic. One being that it should never be okay for a parent to strike a child for any reason. The other school of thought is that children do need corporal punishment as discipline to correct bad behavior. Regardless of your position in this situation, or the ongoing debates related to this issue, you should know that corporal punishment of a child is a legal means of disciplining your child in Nevada.

Nevada State statutes define corporal punishment as the intentional infliction of physical pain including, without limitation, hitting, pinching or striking. Nevada law allows parents or guardians to spank their children as a form of discipline. However, the spanking must be risk reasonable. Any spanking that causes an injury or bruise to the child is unreasonable discipline and thus may be considered child abuse.

In determining what is reasonable, the following factors are considered:

  1. The age of a child
  2. The frequency and the duration of the discipline
  3. Whether the child has a physical or psychological disability
  4. Whether the discipline resulted in a physical or mental injury
  5. The location on the body of the physical discipline. For example, whether the child was spanked on the buttocks, or if the child was spanked in the face.

Remember, there is a fine line between corporal punishment and child abuse. That being said, as a parent in Nevada, you do have the legal right to spank your child as a form of discipline, provided that the spanking is reasonable and does not result in an injury to the child.

If you have questions regarding this or any other Family Law topic, do not hesitate to contact our office to schedule a consultation with our experienced Family Law attorney. Our team will help identify your options and answer any questions you may have. To reach our office, contact us at (702) 998-1188, info@ljlawlv.com, or by scheduling a consultation online.

For additional resources regarding Child Custody, Divorce, or a variety of Family Law topics, be sure to check out our Family Law blog, podcast, and Family Law TV playlist on Youtube.

 

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