Adolescent Endorsement of Corporal Punishment and Risk of Teacher-Perpetrated Physical Violence: Evidence from Five Sub-Saharan African Countries

Purpose: Corporal punishment by teachers remains one of the most pervasive forms of school-based violence in sub-Saharan Africa, undermining adolescent wellbeing and educational attainment despite statutory prohibitions. While most research has focused on prevalence, teacher behaviours, or household risk factors, little is known about how adolescents’ own beliefs and peer normative environments shape their vulnerability to teacher violence. Methods: This study analysed nationally representative Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) from five countries: Eswatini (2021), Mozambique (2019), Kenya (2019), Namibia (2019), and Lesotho (2018), focusing on 10,904 school-going adolescents aged 13-17 years. Logistic regression models estimated associations between individual endorsement of corporal punishment, peer-level attitudes (measured using leave-one-out peer endorsement), and reported experience of teacher violence. Results were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Findings: show that 13.6% of adolescents reported teacher corporal punishment in the past year. More than half (52.8%) endorsed corporal punishment, with peer endorsement averaging 53%. Adolescents who endorsed corporal punishment had twice the odds of experiencing teacher violence (aOR=2.1, 95% CI:1.6-2.7). Each 10-percentage-point increase in peer endorsement was associated with a 10% increase in odds (aOR=1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.2). Gender moderated these associations: while boys were generally more exposed, girls who endorsed corporal punishment in pro-corporal peer contexts faced sharply elevated risks. Associations varied across countries, with the strongest effects in Kenya. Conclusion: The findings highlight adolescents and peers as overlooked but critical drivers of school violence. Prevention strategies must therefore extend beyond legal bans and teacher training to also shift adolescent attitudes, peer climates, and home–school linkages. Evidence from interventions such as the Good School Toolkit (Uganda), Green Dot bystander program (U.S.), and SASA! (Uganda) demonstrates that norms change is possible. Adapting such models to address corporal punishment could provide a sustainable pathway to safer schools across Africa.