children in the united states are not as lucky as inuit children. parents can spank their children at home. similarly, school can punish children by spanking or hitting as long as it is "reasonable." there are rule about what is reasonable. these rule look at the child's age, the child's past behavior, why the reason is hitting the child, and so on. however, the law says that officials cannot hit people in prisons or mental hospitals in the united states.