Blog: Child Abuse

No, it is not illegal to spank your child in California. The spanking, however, cannot be excessive and must be for disciplinary reasons. Excessive or unreasonable spanking could lead to accusations of child abuse, the opening of a juvenile dependency case, and the filing of criminal charges. In California, child abuse occurs under Penal Code …

Per Penal Code 647.6 PC, child annoyance is a type of criminal conduct in California. This conduct occurs when: a person engages in an act directed at a child (under the age of 18), the act is motivated by sexual interest in the child, and a normal person would have been disturbed, irritated, or injured …

Whether or not it is either right or effective to discipline your child by spanking him or her is a subject of much controversy. But can spanking your child in Oakland, California get you charged with a crime for violating California’s child abuse laws? It can, if the spanking is found to be “cruel and inhuman,” …