In 2000, the German Government passed a law prohibiting physical punishment in the family. A pre–post research design allows for an examination of its effects. The results of nationwide representative surveys on the experiences, perceptions, legal knowledge and attitudes of adolescents and parents are discussed. The recent surveys reveal a signiﬁcant decrease in the prevalence of corporal punishments and a high acceptance of the legal prohibition. In particular, awareness of the legal limits of parental physical sanctions has increased signiﬁcantly. For these reasons, the prohibition of corporal punishment can be said to have had an impact on the reduction of family violence against children in Germany. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.