No, corporal punishment against children is prohibited under Argentina’s Ley 26.061 de Protección Integral de los Derechos de las Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes (2005) and Ley 26.485 de Protección Integral para Prevenir, Sancionar y Erradicar la Violencia contra las Mujeres (2009). The Defensoría del Niño and provincial child protection agencies enforce these bans, with 2024 amendments strengthening penalties for caregivers violating child dignity.
Key Regulations for Spanking Your Child in Argentina
- Article 3 of Ley 26.061 classifies all forms of physical punishment as “violence” under child protection frameworks, aligning with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Article 6 of Ley 26.485 explicitly criminalizes disciplinary spanking, classifying it as “violencia doméstica” if inflicted by parents or guardians, punishable under Código Penal Article 80 (aggravated assault).
- Provincial Family Codes (e.g., Buenos Aires’ Ley 13.298) mandate mandatory counseling for offenders and potential removal of parental rights under Ley 24.417 de Protección contra la Violencia Familiar.
Local courts, such as the Tribunal de Familia de CABA, have upheld these bans in 2023 rulings, citing the 2026 Plan Nacional de Erradicación de Castigos Corporales as a compliance benchmark. Non-compliance risks fines up to ARS 500,000 or 6 years’ imprisonment under Ley 26.485.