corporal punishment

noun | \ ˈkȯr-pə-rəl- \ | cor·po·ral punishment

1. : punishment inflicted on a person's body — see also cruel and unusual punishment

   Note: The prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution imposes limits on the use of corporal punishment on convicted offenders and prisoners. The U.S. Supreme Court has found the Eighth Amendment to be inapplicable to the use of corporal punishment on schoolchildren.