<P> Overlapping definitions of physical abuse and physical punishment of children highlight a subtle or non-existent distinction between abuse and punishment . Joan Durrant and Ron Ensom write that most physical abuse is physical punishment "in intent, form, and effect". Incidents of confirmed physical abuse often result from the use of corporal punishment for purposes of discipline, for instance from parents' inability to control their anger or judge their own strength, or from not understanding children's physical vulnerabilities . </P> <P> The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health of the United Kingdom remarked in a 2009 policy statement that "corporal punishment of children in the home is of importance to pediatricians because of its connection with child abuse...all pediatricians will have seen children who have been injured as a result of parental chastisement . It is not possible logically to differentiate between a smack and a physical assault since both are forms of violence . The motivation behind the smack cannot reduce the hurtful impact it has on the child ." They assert that preventing child maltreatment is of "vital importance", and advocate a change in the laws concerning corporal punishment . In their words, "Societies which promote the needs and rights of children have a low incidence of child maltreatment, and this includes a societal rejection of physical punishment of children". </P> <P> According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "The only way to maintain the initial effect of spanking is to systematically increase the intensity with which it is delivered, which can quickly escalate into abuse". They note that "Parents who spank their children are more likely to use other unacceptable forms of corporal punishment". </P> <P> In the United States, interviews with parents reveal that as many as two thirds of documented instances of physical abuse begin as acts of corporal punishment meant to correct a child's behavior . In Canada, three quarters of substantiated cases of physical abuse of children have occurred within the context of physical punishment, according to the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect . According to Elizabeth Gershoff, "Both parental acts involve hitting, and purposefully hurting, children . The difference between the two is often degree (duration, amount of force, object used) rather than intent". </P>

When did it become illegal to smack your child