David Aslam, age 11, of Brownsville, Texas, for his question:

WHAT IS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT?

Corporal punishment, in criminology, is some manner of physical punishment inflicted by judicial order on the body of an offender. The term generally refers to flogging.

Historically, corporal punishment has been practiced since ancient times. It was assumed that the injured criminal would be less likely to commit other crimes, but this assumption was never proved. Some even held the theory that severe corporal punishment increased the  likelihood of further criminal acts.

In the 20th century, corporal punishment fell into disfavor in many countries including the United States. It was replaced with penal methods that provided correctional goals, such as psychological guidance and vocational training programs in prisons.

Corporate punishment is still part of the penal system of some nations in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It is also favored by some people who believe that it can be used as a deterrent to the growing crime rate.