One hundred years ago in industrial countries, children worked eighteen hours a day in a factory at age seven. The factory owner could beat a child who fell asleep or was not fast enough. Both parents and teachers could do whatever they liked to children because children had no protection under the law.
Today, there are many laws to protect children all over the world.Some people think think that children must obey rules or be punished.Other people do not agree.The Inuit, or Eskimos, in Alaska almost never hit their children.If the children don't obey, the parents make fun of them.
Children in the United States are not as lucky as Inuit children.Parents can spank their children at home.Similarly, schools can punish children by spanking or hitting as long as it is "reasonable".There are rules about what is reasonable.These rules look at the child's past behavior, why the person is hitting the child, and so on.