Teenagers are less likely to fight physically with one another in countries that ban spanking and other forms of corporal punishment, finds a study in BMJ Open. Researchers analyzed World Health Organization data from more than 400,000 teens in 88 countries. Of those, 30 countries banned corporal punishment entirely, at home and in schools; 38 (including the United States) banned it in schools but not in the home; and 20 had no ban on corporal punishment. On average, the countries with full bans had 31 percent less fighting among males and 58 percent less fighting among females than countries with no bans. Thirty-eight countries with partial bans (in schools but not in the home) experienced less fighting among females but not males. (Monitor on Psychology)

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