Starting January 2026, all forms of physical punishment of children will be prohibited under Czech law.

An amendment to the Civil Code declares corporal punishment unacceptable in any context.

Despite the legal change, a study by Charles University found that 40% of Czech parents still consider physical punishment an appropriate disciplinary method.

Experts warn that social attitudes may take time to adapt, even after the law comes into effect.

The issue extends beyond families into public institutions.

Vít Aleksandr Šorm, Deputy Ombudsman and Commissioner for Children’s Rights, reported that during visits to orphanages and educational facilities across the country, he observed humiliating practices and physical punishments still being used.

Some children are subjected to forced kneeling and other degrading forms of discipline, practices that violate the Czech Republic’s international obligations to protect children.

Investigations by the Ombudsman’s Office and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights are ongoing. Their findings will be made public in the ESO Register’s database, allowing greater transparency and accountability.

Over the past decades, many studies have examined the effects of corporal punishment, and not one has found that it has a positive impact on children or their behaviour. In contrast, many have found that it has many long-term negative health impacts on children as individuals – and societies as a whole.

“There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment carries multiple risks to the health of children,” said Dr Etienne Krug, director of WHO’s Department for Social Determinants of Health.

A study conducted across 49 low and middle-income countries found that children who are corporally punished are 24 per cent less likely to be developmentally on track with their peers.

“The practice [of corporal punishment] also fuels a broader social acceptance of violence, reinforcing harmful cycles across generations,” the report said.

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