Controversies continue regarding the effects of corporal punishment on children. Research has demonstrated an association between levels of corporal punishment and negative outcome behaviors such as aggression and other mental health problems. However, most of these studies have been cross-sectional and correlational in design, thereby precluding causal inferences. A more comprehensive understanding of the effects of corporal punishment requires taking into account the context of discipline and parent-child relationships, the influence of child and parent characteristics, as well as the cultural context in which corporal punishment takes place. This review of the literature addresses these issues as well as examining the current state of research, methodology, and issues of causality, and implications for parent education and future research. The review finds that the risk for negative and harmful consequences increases when corporal punishment is used in the context of a harsh, abusive, or dysfunctional parenting approach, and also when it continues to be the practice in older children and adults. Recent studies have begun to examine more closely the influence of culture on children's perceptions and interpretation of spanking and its subsequent effect on child behavior. Future research should examine the effects of physical punishment on a wide variety of other desirable and undesirable child outcomes. (Contains 48 references.) (Author/HTH)