Corporal Punishment In Schools and Student Outcomes: A Scoping Review of Emotional Well-Being and Academic Engagement In Ghana

Background and Purpose

Corporal punishment remains widely practiced in many schools across Ghana, despite being legally prohibited. A growing body of research documents the harmful effects of corporal punishment on children. Although earlier studies link corporal punishment to negative emotional and academic outcomes, the evidence is scattered across different disciplines and contexts. Much of the existing work has focused on family settings and on populations in the United States and other Western countries. As a result, far less is known about the impacts of school-based corporal punishment in Ghana and other African contexts. This is a significant gap given its continued widespread use in these settings. To fill these research gaps, this scoping review brings together existing empirical research on school-based corporal punishment and how it relates to students’ emotional well-being and academic engagement in Ghana. It also explores the broader reasons these practices continue and points out areas that have not been explored much, especially around resilience and social justice.

Methods

This review was guided by PRISMA-ScR and the Joanna Briggs Institute approach for scoping reviews. Searches were carried out in PsycINFO, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science, along with relevant grey literature. To be included, studies had to be published from 2010 onward, focus on corporal punishment carried out by teachers in Ghana and similar Sub-Saharan African contexts, and examine at least one emotional or academic outcome among school-aged children (5-18 years). The initial search returned 1,372 records. After screening and removing studies that did not meet the criteria, 14 studies were included in the final review. The findings were then grouped and interpreted using a narrative thematic approach.

Results

Across the studies, similar patterns showed up repeatedly. Students who experienced corporal punishment were more likely to report emotional difficulties such as anxiety, fear, depression, and low self-esteem. In terms of school outcomes, many of these students also showed lower motivation, participated less in class, avoided school, and tended to perform worse academically. The findings also revealed that corporal punishment was normalized in many schools, often linked to the belief that strict or physical discipline leads to better behavior or academic success. Other structural factors, like teacher stress, large class sizes, and weak enforcement of school policies, were also identified. Few studies explored resilience or protective factors, highlighting an important gap in the literature.

Conclusions and Implications

Overall, the findings suggest that school-based corporal punishment has harmful effects on children’s emotional well-being and on how they engage in school. This challenges the idea that harsh discipline improves learning. These findings point to the need for stronger enforcement of existing policies, better training for teachers in positive discipline strategies, and the inclusion of child-centered and social justice approaches within education systems in Ghana. Addressing the issue of school-based corporal punishment in Ghana requires not only policy changes but also broader cultural shifts toward creating safer and more supportive learning environments.