Can you hit a child to discipline them in Peru? Physical and humiliating punishment is banned

What Ley 30403 bans

The law’s core rule is short: «Prohíbese el uso del castigo físico y humillante contra los niños, niñas y adolescentes» (physical and humiliating punishment of children and adolescents is prohibited) (art. 1). It reaches every place a child lives: «el hogar, la escuela, la comunidad, lugares de trabajo, entre otros relacionados» (home, school, community, workplaces and other related settings).

The same law added article 3-A, «Derecho al buen trato» (right to good treatment), to the Children and Adolescents Code (Código de los Niños y Adolescentes): to receive «cuidados, afecto, protección, socialización y educación no violentas» (care, affection, protection, socialisation and non-violent education) from parents, guardians, teachers, authorities «o cualquier otra persona» (or anyone else).

It also repealed article 74(d) of the Children and Adolescents Code and article 423(3) of the Civil Code (Second Complementary Amending Provision).

What counts as punishment

Both definitions end the same way: «siempre que no constituya un hecho punible» (provided it is not a punishable act). So Ley 30403 covers what falls short of a misdemeanour or crime. What does amount to one is also governed by criminal and family-violence law.

The regulation adds how to identify it (D.S. 003-2018-MIMP, art. 8): there is force or offensive treatment (the objective element), meant to correct or change the child’s behaviour (the subjective element), by someone exercising parenting or educational functions.

What does not justify it

The regulation closes two common excuses:

• Crisis or conflict. «Ninguna situación de conflicto o crisis vinculada a la crianza o educación de las niñas, niños o adolescentes justifica, en ningún modo, el empleo del castigo físico y humillante» (no conflict or crisis linked to raising or educating children justifies, in any way, the use of physical and humiliating punishment) (art. 9.1).
• Beliefs. Freedom of expression, opinion and religious belief «no justifican contravenir la prohibición» (do not justify breaching the ban) (art. 9.3).

At school

For the regulation, physical and humiliating punishment «es incompatible con la educación, el respeto a la dignidad humana» (is incompatible with education and respect for human dignity) and with «los límites estrictos de la disciplina escolar» (the strict limits of school discipline) (art. 10.1). Faced with misbehaviour, the teacher «debe emplear la comunicación» (must use communication) with pupils, «de acuerdo a sus características» (according to their characteristics).

When there is a complaint, the Tutoring and Educational Guidance Committee or the school management must (art. 15.4):

• stop the acts from continuing;
• ensure health care if needed;
• gather information from staff and inform the parents or family;
• «separar preventivamente a la/el docente o al personal administrativo denunciado» (preventively remove the reported teacher or administrative staff member).

If the problem is between pupils, the route is different: school bullying is reported on SíseVe, as this site’s bullying page explains.

Where to report it and what happens next

Who can report: «Cualquier persona o entidad pública o privada» (any person or public or private body), and «La propia niña, niño o adolescente sin necesidad de una/un representante» (the child or adolescent themselves, without needing a representative) (art. 16(a)). The regulation adds: «se evita juzgar el testimonio de la niña, niño o adolescente y su revictimización» (judging the child’s testimony and revictimising them is avoided).

Afterwards, under article 16 of the regulation, the service immediately informs the mother, father or person in charge; provides or refers medical or psychological care; and follows up with visits to check the punishment has stopped, requesting protection measures if needed.

At home, the approach is supportive: care aims to end these practices «a través de mecanismos de apoyo y educativos» (through support and educational mechanisms) and is the DEMUNA’s job (art. 15.2). Since D. Leg. 1377, the Code calls this service «Defensoría de la Niña, Niño y Adolescente» (art. 42); the one run by the municipality is still the DEMUNA. The DEMUNA, for its part, has the duty to report suspected misdemeanours or crimes against children to the competent authorities (Code, art. 45.1(h), as worded by D. Leg. 1377).

What this law does not do

• It sets no fines for parents. In the law and regulation we read, we found no financial penalty for physical punishment at home.
• It does not replace a family-violence or assault complaint when the act is punishable.
• It does not by itself remove parental authority. That is a separate court process with its own grounds.