I grew up in Tennessee in the 1990s. Spanking as a form of discipline was the norm at home, at school, and even endorsed by Christian parenting books that offered step-by-step instructions. The vice principal at my elementary school kept a wooden paddle for corporal punishment on display behind his desk. This approach to discipline was deeply embedded in evangelical culture, and in many places it still is. Yet globally, the tide has shifted: as of 2024, 75 countries have banned corporal punishment.