Is It Illegal To Spank Your Child In Texas?

I like to look for commonly searched questions on Google to help come up with different Texas-focused article topics. Today, the question "Is it legal to spank your child in Texas?" came up immediately in my search. It looks like it's a pretty common question. I thought I'd take a second to dive into that topic and help out anyone that might be searching for some answers.

So, is it legal to spank your child in Texas?

The short answer is 'yes'. Spanking your child is legal in Texas, however, it's not something that just anyone can do. You can't just grab an unruly kid in the grocery store that doesn't belong to you and give them a slap on the rear end. That will land you in major trouble.

Texas law says that parents, stepparents, grandparents, and legal guardians are allowed to administer "reasonable" forms of punishment on their children, like spanking, as long as it doesn't cross the line into abuse. Sometimes, those lines can be difficult to define. If you think you might need a refresher on what you should and shouldn't do, and what could be considered child abuse, or serious injury to a child, please click this link.

Growing up in Texas, my parents resorted to spanking a handful of times to get their point across. While I respect their decision to do so, I have grown to believe that there are better forms of punishment that would have probably worked just fine, if not better.

If you are concerned about the treatment or punishment of a child, please contact the Texas Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400, or click here for more information.