Ipsos Survey Finds One Third of Poles Accept Physical Punishment for Children

Survey findings on corporal and verbal discipline

On 5 October 2026, the Give Children Strength Foundation and Ipsos Poland presented the Barometer of Attitudes Towards Child Abuse 2026 during an opening event at the Sejm in Warsaw. The survey shows that 32% of Poles still view physical punishment as acceptable in specific situations, even though corporal punishment has been illegal in Poland since 2010. Awareness of this legal ban remains limited, with only 53% of respondents stating they know that hitting children is prohibited by law. In contrast, 65% of respondents declared that physical violence against children should never be used under any circumstances.

Acceptance levels for psychological discipline remain substantially higher across the country. Only 20% of respondents believe that yelling at a child should never be permitted, while 75% consider shouting acceptable in certain circumstances.

Witnessed incidents and intervention barriers

The study measured public exposure to child mistreatment over the preceding twelve months. Among respondents, 68% reported witnessing an adult shouting at a child, 25% witnessed a child being insulted, and 18% saw physical punishment inflicted on a child. Bystanders reacted with varying levels of assertiveness depending on the type of behavior observed.

When witnessing physical violence, 50% of respondents intervened by addressing the adult directly. For insults, 45% of witnesses intervened, whereas only 22% took action when witnessing yelling. Among those who saw yelling, 38% took no action at all. The leading reason cited for non-intervention across all categories was the conviction that child-rearing is a private parental matter, a justification given by 35% of witnesses to physical punishment, 41% of witnesses to shouting, and 36% of witnesses to insulting behavior.

Developmental effects of psychological violence

Experts participating in the campaign pointed to evidence that verbal aggression and emotional mistreatment cause lasting damage to childhood neurological development. Renata Szredzińska, vice president of the Give Children Strength Foundation, noted that exposure to constant stress triggers cortisol releases that impair cognitive function, peer relations, and school performance.

Szredzińska addressed the hidden impact of verbal aggression:

Psychological violence does not leave marks on a child's body, so it is harder to notice. Meanwhile, in the long term, its consequences can be even more severe and dangerous than physical violence, including the use of smacking.

Szredzińska added that children who experience recurring humiliation or verbal aggression often develop lower self-esteem and adopt hostile behavioral patterns.

National awareness campaign rollout

The survey findings accompanied the launch of the third edition of the Childhood Without Violence campaign, coordinated jointly by the Give Children Strength Foundation and the National Coalition for Child Protection under the slogan "Violence takes away children's power." The six-week initiative involves thousands of local workshops, educational meetings, and community discussions across Poland to promote non-violent parenting.

The initiative concludes on 19 November 2026 with a nationwide demonstration in which public buildings across Poland will illuminate in red to symbolize opposition to child abuse.