Overview

• A recent study from UNICEF and Universitätsklinikum Ulm reports that only 33% of Germans find mild physical punishment, like spanking, acceptable—the lowest rate recorded to date.
• The survey also highlights that emotional punishments such as shouting (16%) and locking children in their rooms (9%) remain tolerated by a minority.
• Younger Germans (16–30 years old) show the steepest decline in approval for corporal punishment, with acceptance dropping from 44.6% in 2020 to 21.3% in 2025.
• Experts emphasize the need for stronger legal protections, including embedding children’s rights in the German constitution and explicitly defining neglect as a punishable offense.
• The study underscores the importance of continued public education and systematic data collection to address gaps in child protection and raise awareness about emotional abuse and neglect.