Disciplining A Child
ORC 2919.22(B) — where the statute draws the line on physical discipline
The child endangering section speaks to physical discipline directly, and the words it uses are the line.
Excessive, and a substantial risk of serious physical harm. No person may administer corporal punishment or another physical disciplinary measure, or physically restrain a child in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period, where the punishment, discipline or restraint is excessive under the circumstances and creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the child. The section protects children under eighteen, and children with a mental or physical disability under twenty one.
- Discipline without a single blow can reach it too: the section covers repeatedly administering unwarranted disciplinary measures where there is a substantial risk that, if it continues, it will seriously impair or retard the child's mental health or development.
- A parent, guardian, custodian, or anyone with custody or control of a child also must not create a substantial risk to the child's health or safety by violating a duty of care, protection or support.
- Abuse, and torture or cruel abuse, are separate divisions of the same section.
| What the section reaches | The degree |
|---|---|
| What the section reachesExcessive physical discipline or restraint, or repeated unwarranted discipline | The degreeThird degree felony |
| What the section reachesThe same, with serious physical harm to the child or a prior conviction for child abuse or neglect | The degreeSecond degree felony |
| What the section reachesViolating a duty of care, protection or support, or abuse, in the ordinary case | The degreeFirst degree misdemeanor |
The domestic violence section covers a child too. No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a family or household member, and that term includes a child of the offender who is living or has lived with the offender. It is a separate offence from child endangering, under a separate section.
The endangering section does not put a number on excessive, and whether particular discipline crossed the line is decided on the facts of the case. What happens when children services opens an investigation is on its own page. A licensed Ohio attorney reads a specific situation.
Sources for this section (2)
- ORC 2919.22 — Endangering children
- ORC 2919.25 — Domestic violence
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Talk to a licensed Ohio attorney about your situation.