Nigeria, Oct. 12 -- Cape Town - After South Africa's Constitutional Court last month upheld a high court ruling that corporal punishment at home is unconstitutional, many parents protested that they were raised that way - it's African culture, after all. But is it an African tradition to spank or beat children? And does it produce responsible adults?

"No!" says the data. Physical discipline is not rooted in African culture but in colonialism. Studies show that hitting children contributes to domestic and community violence and can even reduce children's intellectual capacity.

The problem is global, and its harmful effects are multi-generational.

"When children are exposed to violence in the home, there's a high possibility for a boy wh...